Keenan Gray’s ‘Seedless’ is a chaotic dark comedy that hurls us into the emotionally volatile world of an Uber ride gone sideways. Shot with raw, handheld intimacy by cinematographer Andy Kugler, we follow driver Pete (played with wide-eyed charm by Joey Leberer) who picks up a jittery, time-pressed passenger, Donny (co-writer Pete Zipf), whose frantic energy instantly throws the car’s already fragile atmosphere off-kilter.
What begins as a standard ride interaction quickly devolves into something more unhinged, more sinister – yet stubbornly hilarious. Zipf’s Donny is a twitchy, paranoid mess who refuses to get out of the car, instead dragging Pete into a delusional situation involving a balaclava, and a potential kidnapping of Donny’s sister. It’s all framed in tight, shaky handheld shots that make us feel like we’re trapped in the back seat of a slow-moving car crash.
The chemistry between Leberer and Zipf is electric; it crackles with tension and wit. Scarlett Sperduto’s brief appearance as the alleged victim delivers the final punch: clarity. It’s a brilliant deflation of drama that’s both funny and deeply revealing.
‘Seedless’ is clever in how it spirals – never too far, never too fast, but always deeper into the bizarre. It’s a beautifully deranged mini-thriller, soaked in paranoia and humor, that pokes fun at the fragility of a man and the absurdity of everyday interactions. Edgy, quirky, and utterly entertaining.
