BUILDOUT, THE

(director/writer: Zeshaan Younus; cinematographer: Justin Moore; editor: Matt Latham; music: Jack Bartman; cast: Jenna Kanell (Campbell), Hannah Alline (Dylan), Natasha Halevi (Cleric Kanner), Danielle Evon Ploeger (Dakota), Michael Sung Ho (Cleric Barrow), Ariel Barber (Barrow’s Vision); Runtime: 70; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Nicholas Thurkettle, Zeshaan Younus, Trevor Dillon, Sailor Larocque; Ethos Releasing; 2024)

“An intriguing paranormal film set in the inhospitable California desert of the Borrego Triangle.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz


The low-budget cultist desert film marks the feature film debut by director/writer Zeshaan Younus. It’s an intriguing paranormal film set in the inhospitable California desert of the Borrego Triangle (known for numerous UFO sightings and paranormal activities).

Clerics (Natasha Halevi & Michael Sung Ho) are in an advance party for their Clerics group on a ten-day mission to set up a base camp in the remote wasteland of Southern California, where they will try to have their spiritual visions realized through meditation exercises.

Dylan (Hannah Alline) and Cameron (Jenna Kenall) visit by motorcycle the Triangle at the Anza-Borrego State Park to see if they can rekindle their friendship. They were once close friends, but after the death two years ago of Cameron’s beloved older sister Dakota (Danielle Evon Ploeger), they became estranged. 

Once in the desert, the reformed addict Dylan joins the Clerics group. The non-believer Cameron supports her friend’s decision, but is wary of the group’s cult status.

The enticing but scorching hot desert plays out as both a welcoming and threatening setting (with UFOs spotted). The filmmaker also reminds us that Jesus once wandered in the desert to find himself.

The healing journey between the friends turns into a surreal road trip that stirs up further anxieties about their future relationship and about the dangers lurking in the foreboding desert. The desert’s stark beauty is contrasted with its eeriness, as the film’s horror pic mood thrives on its otherworldly weirdness.

The horror/thriller is finely acted and photographed, as it tells us about ways to view the unknown. I felt as uneasy watching it as a traveler might in a sandstorm when trying to find shelter.

It played at the Panic Fest. 

REVIEWED ON 2/10/2025  GRADE: B
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