Film Review: A SAFE DISTANCE: A Character Study That is Quietly Chilling and Effective [Fantasia 2026]

A Safe Distance Review

A Safe Distance (2026) Film Review from the 30th Annual Fantasia Film Festival, a movie directed by Gloria Mercer, written by Aidan West and starring Bethany Brown, Cody Kearsley, Henry Mah, Chris McNally and Tandia Mercedes.

Gloria Mercer has directed an intense drama crafted with terrific skill and precision with the powerful new indie movie, A Safe Distance. Although the film quietly presents its main characters’ motivations and ambitions, it carries a swift stick and slowly creeps up on the viewer as the movie has the ability to reel the viewer in with each and every passing scene as the main character, Alex (Bethany Brown), falls deeper and deeper into a complex maze of confusion which ultimately leads to some sort of clarity and satisfaction, for better or worse.

As the film opens, Alex and her longtime partner, Joey (Chris McNally), are bickering in the forest about the status of their relationship. Joey wants a serious relationship, but Alex isn’t quite on the same page as Joey where their romantic chemistry is concerned. When Joey inexplicably disappears on their camping trip, Alex is left to fend for herself as she searches for a way to get back home.

Enter a pair of bank robbers, Matt (Cody Kearsley) and Kianna (Tandia Mercedes), a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde even though it is certain that the reference they aspire to be was from a tale that didn’t end well. Alex teams up with these robbers and finds in their company reason for excitement through illegal activity. Not only does the strait-laced Alex join Matt and Kianna in their bank robbing exercises, but she also starts to embrace the robbers’ wild lifestyle as she takes things from a convenience store at one point that she didn’t realize she wanted in order to justify her participation in the activity.

Something happens between Alex and Kianna as they become kindred spirits. Will Matt be able to stay in the picture and what would happen if Joey were to come back into the equation after his absence from Alex’s life? This movie focuses on Alex’s thought-process regarding what she seeks in her life and Kianna becomes so close to Alex that the pair may want to ditch everyone else and fly solo.

There are two great performances in A Safe Distance. Bethany Brown is exceptional as the camper who realizes she doesn’t want the relationship she was in and finds that living on the edge and off the grid really suits her personality, and surprisingly so. Brown digs deep inside the character revealing layers that prove that Alex is strong-willed and not afraid to take big risks when the situation calls for it. Tandia Mercedes is absolutely spellbinding beside her as Kianna shows Alex a whole new world that is filled with possibilities despite the dangers that may actually await them.

Both of the main men featured in the film are flawed beyond a reasonable doubt. Cody Kearsley can be a bit menacing at times and is truly believable as a bank robber. It is Chris McNally as Joey, however, who steals scenes in the movie. McNally plays his character as a victim at first. It seems that Joey has been wronged by Alex when she betrays his trust by spacing their relationship out. Alex has feelings that Joey didn’t know about and Joey is initially a strong character who holds on firm to his beliefs although the plot may have a surprise or two in store for the viewer by the movie’s conclusion. Regardless, McNally is excellent in the role. Kearsley is totally plausible in his own role as well.

It is Mercedes and Brown’s characters who shape A Safe Distance and turn it into something special although the film’s ending is rather ambiguous and leaves many questions unanswered. Filmmaker Mercer has a keen eye and ear for sharp character details that make more sense as the women in the film choose paths that seem unconventional at first but serve a greater purpose. There is a lot of depth to all the characters in the movie, and they are shaped through the smart script by Aidan West who never steers the viewer wrong until the final moments which offer clarity but make one wish for just one extra scene to tie all the loose ends together.

A Safe Distance is the type of intriguing character study that is enhanced by the fine performances interwoven into the material. Although there are some minor flaws, the characters are so fascinating to watch. Meanwhile, the situations are so intense that there are real stakes in the movie, and the ending is a result of the characters taking big chances against the odds.

In the end, A Safe Distance offers audiences a walk on the wild side while showing a bond between Alex and Kianna that has a distinct edge and deep meaning in the context of the plot. It’s a probing drama and is well worth seeing for its sharp observations on life and suspenseful revelations.

Rating: 7/10

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