Cutaways (2025) Review: Defying Crowd-Pleasing Formulas!

May 20, 2026May 25, 2026 Surya Komal 0 Comments Cutaways, English Movies, Hollywood, Hollywood Movie Reviews, Hollywood Movies, James Duval, Silas Kade

Cutaways, written, directed, and edited by Mark Schwab, is a dark comedy and industry satire that places its characters inside a confined environment and slowly allows personalities, egos, and frustrations to collide. On paper, the premise of a canceled filmmaker being forced to direct a low-budget adult production sounds like something that could easily become loud, outrageous, and over-the-top. But the film is less interested in shock value and more interested in exploring artistic identity, compromise, and the strange dynamics that exist within creative spaces and the emotional chaos hidden beneath them.

The storyline of Cutaways follows Evan Quick (Silas Kade), once a promising independent filmmaker whose career is derailed by online backlash. Forced into a humiliating situation to survive financially, he finds himself directing a production he never imagined taking on. Within the walls of a warehouse studio, what initially appears to be a straightforward job gradually turns into a chaotic mix of creative clashes, emotional instability, and power struggles between him, his friends and producers.

One thing I appreciated about Cutaways is that it doesn’t take a conventional storytelling route. Mark Schwab clearly has no interest in following a safe formula or creating a neat structure where every emotional beat is carefully handed to the audience. Instead, the film embraces unpredictability. It allows awkward situations, uncomfortable interactions, and clashing personalities to naturally unfold. That approach gives the movie a very raw and unusual feeling because scenes often play out more like observing people unravel in real time rather than watching a traditionally structured narrative.

The biggest strength of the movie for me, though, was easily the performances. Considering the film takes place almost entirely in a single location, the actors carry a huge responsibility. Without major location changes or large visual set pieces, the movie depends heavily on its cast to keep the audience invested, and I thought everyone delivered really strong performances.

The characters constantly bounce off one another with different energies and personalities colliding in every scene. There are moments of tension, moments of awkward humor, and moments where emotions suddenly spill over, keeping interactions interesting throughout the runtime. Even when the story slows down, the performances continue carrying the momentum.

James Duval brings a chaotic energy to the film, while Silas Kade as Evan works well as the emotional center. The performances feel committed and natural, and because of that, even smaller scenes become engaging to watch.

The production design also deserves some appreciation. The entire film unfolds on what is essentially a soundstage environment, but it never feels visually empty. There are several details scattered throughout the set design that help create a believable working environment. The warehouse itself starts feeling almost like another character in the movie. The confined atmosphere adds to the tension and complements the emotional chaos happening between the people inside it.

There’s also an interesting underlying layer involving creative compromise and artistic survival. The adult production setting feels less like the actual focus and more like a backdrop used to examine larger ideas. The film repeatedly puts its characters in situations where they have to choose between maintaining control over who they are or simply doing what they need to do to keep moving forward.

Overall, Cutaways is not trying to be a conventional crowd-pleaser. It deliberately chooses a more uncomfortable, unconventional path and commits to that vision throughout. While some aspects of its storytelling can feel intentionally messy and chaotic, the strong performances, effective production design, and willingness to take risks make it an interesting watch. It’s a film that feels more focused on character collisions and creative struggles than plot mechanics, and that distinct approach gives it its own personality. You can now rent and stream ‘Cutaways’ on Tubi (for free) or Fandango at Home and check out the movie’s Instagram page for more updates.