Suffer, indie sword & sorcery film, drops December 19th

Suffer is exactly the kind of movie I spend hours trawling strange internet resources looking out for. Made by six filmmakers for $30,000, this movie has all t the grit and style to make up for its lack of resources. Production team Dos Goats, consisting of Kerry Carlosk and Nick Lund-Urlich, are well read in their sword and sorcery lore. The color palette comes from Albert Pyun's the Sword and the Sorcerer. The dark fantasy feminist vibe comes from C.L. Moore's Jirel of Joirey. I'll be watching the film soon and speaking more to those influences, but for now I have to say that I can't recommend enough the strength and complexity of Moore's work, especially compared to the more popular but exploitative Red Sonja.

The trailer is below for your inspection, as well as some information from the team themselves. If you want to check it out for yourself, the film will be available to you on December 19th through AppleTV and Amazon Prime Video. Linked here is the Dos Goats web page in case you want to join the newsletter and follow their work directly.

Changemaker, actress and activist Naomi McDougall Jones (Bite Me, Imagine I’m Beautiful) stars as the film’s formidable heroine.

Ida Blye (McDougall Jones), a defiant handmaiden who has been exiled and left for dead at the far reaches of the land. The tyrannical Scarlet Prince (Scott Beehner) has enslaved its people by placing them in magical masks that silence their voices and he is close to snuffing out the last pockets of resistance. Ida must survive the wilderness and end the Prince's violent rule before she succumbs to the dangerous magic that is slowly killing her. 

Directed by filmmaking duo Dos Goats, Kerry Carlock & Nick Lund-Ulrich, and shot against the epic backdrop of Sun Valley, Idaho, this breathtaking and gripping story explores the endless challenges we must face to fight for our freedom. Jones leads the film with a brilliant and mostly silent performance, crackling with depth and humanity. 

Awarded the ReFrame Stamp for its commitment to gender balanced production, Suffer showcases a female-led filmmaking team. In addition to being co-directed by Kerry Carlock and starring Naomi McDougall Jones, the film was lensed by Idaho local April Frame (For When You Get Lost), edited by Lex Benedict (Identity Crisis, The Greatest Inheritance) and Rebecca Weigold (Priest, As We Know It), and composed by Joanna Karselis (The Haunting of Lady Jane).