Sure Fire

This is the Jost I really like. For such a sparse script, and utilising non-professional actors, there's a strong sense of psychology underpinning everything. With Blair, in particular, expression and diction communicate a lot. If the resolution feels cheap and sensational, this is alleviated by the unfaltering strength of the total aesthetic design. That final shot is just wonderful.

This seems to be one of Jost's more invested movies, artistically, and he really does have his own minimalist style, which I really appreciate. He sometimes reminds me of a cinematic equivalent of Jandek; the very lo-fi, laid back production, the country setting, his ginger muse Tom Blair even bares a superficial resemblance to Jandek. There are some good dialogues in Sure Fire, but not all, and most detrimentally, I didn't find the climax convincing.

Top-notch example of American minimalist cinema. The dazzling cinematography and the extraordinary music add to the film's offbeat power.

Jost has put together a surprisingly unpretentious film with a virtually no-name cast, its plot speaking volumes on the American condition while unfolding in the bleak Utah desert.