Cubic Zirconia is a haunting thriller drama written and directed by Jason S. Lockridge. Set in modern-day Memphis, the film follows detective Bobby Clarke and his new partner, Natalie Brim, as they work against the clock to find the missing children of a woman who has been found dead.
There are plenty of things to say about this film, the main one being that it is an interesting experience in several ways and that the film feels like a labyrinth of intrigue. While the film and TV market is certainly saturated by true-crime stories, it’s not so often that we find something as mature and realistic as this piece – and it’s sure refreshing to see a crime film that doesn’t rely so much on violence or gore to create a tense atmosphere. Instead, this film aims to explore the psychology of its characters, from its protagonist, the well-hearted detective Clarke (who is himself haunted by the harrowing memories of his dead wife) to the family members of the missing woman. All of these characters are presented realistically and come across as the kind people any of us would know. They’re flawed, but they’re not exaggerated. Their mistakes and problems are common. They say and do the wrong thing quite often, but they’re not the typical Hollywood psychopaths – and, surprisingly enough, that’s what makes this film an intriguing experience that is because, well, you just don’t know what to expect.
As the story unfolds, there is a growing tension and angst to find the lost kids, and so, every time we are introduced to a new character and find out more about their mother’s life, we are trying to find a reason for which this or that person might be the guilty party, but their personas never fully embody an absolute evil, thus making it difficult for us to try to guess who is behind it all. There is no master plan. No great evil. Just people who look normal… until the moment they show their true selves – and even then, their actions come from the most unexpected places, thus making us think about how much we really know our neighbors or even our family members. And this is frightening. People truly are unpredictable.
So, the film’s greatest strength might be its realism, which, quite frankly, might not be such a surprise due to its director’s past in law enforcement experience. As he himself said, he intended to make a film about tragedy, grief, deceit, and obsession (some universal subjects) and he has succeeded. Beyond the harrowing events of the main case, the film also gets to deal with Detective Clarke’s past and traumas, and, again, it does so in a rather realistic way, carefully representing what living with tragedy and grief feels like. Sure, we see plenty of this in big films, but many times these elements are exaggerated or twisted for narrative purposes that end up affecting a realistic representation of said situations and prevent us from noticing them in the people around us.
But through Clarke, Lockridge finds a way to show a state of trauma and grief that we most likely have seen in people going through the same experience. Rather than showing Clarke as a troubled man, he is shown as a silent, meditative player who can’t escape from one horrifying memory that is constantly popping up in his head and that makes him act like he wasn’t there. In other words, Clarke is trapped in a memory, and it’s only through his work that he gets a break from it, even though this new case might be triggering a few things he would rather not think about, but that smartly raises the stakes even more.
All of this is achieved through three great elements. First of all, the mature script that focuses on real emotions and not gore spectacle; a strong performance from actor Keith Johnson who plays Clarke with subtleness and sobriety; and its engaging cinematography (also directed by Lockridge).
Cinematography-wise, the film has an interesting style that, again, makes the piece feel realistic. Lockridge manages to capture the beauty and seemingly calm atmosphere of Memphis in an approachable way. As we see the film, we don’t feel like we’re watching a movie, but rather that we have been in places like those and that, more likely if we went out at that exact same moment, we could find ourselves walking through similar places – which helps to reiterate the idea that situations like the one in the film could be happening around us without us noticing it.
That’s not to say that the film goes without its flaws. While this might be a matter of taste and style, the pace might feel a bit too slow and static at some points, and the production itself comes across as rather limited in some key moments (for instance, during action sequences) – though, granted, considering that this is an indie film, those aspects might be easily overlooked.
Therefore, while it might not be a film suitable for those who seek high adrenaline and fast emotions, Cubic Zirconia is an interesting exercise that works precisely because of its maturity and realism when it comes to exploring some of the darkest aspects of human beings.
Director Biography – Jaron S Lockridge
Growing up in Bolivar, Tennessee, a small town 45 minutes east of Memphis, Jaron became interested in filmmaking as a sophomore in his high school drama class in 2002. He began to teach himself how to use a camera and the basics of filmmaking until his first short film in 2009, mostly cast with friends. Since 2016, Jaron has self-produced 8 feature films, 2 streaming series and multiple short films embracing his guerilla style method of filmmaking. Coining the persona “Guerilla filmer”, he specializes in making films with minimal resources, usually as a one man crew believing the traditional method of seeking Hollywood’s approval to produce content is no more.
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