THE PARAGON (2023): Jonny Brugh and Michelle Ang Join Cosmic Comedy Indie

Jonny Brugh and Michelle Ang cast in indie The Paragon

Native New Zealanders Jonny Brugh and Michelle Ang join what has to be a labor of love for director Michael Duignan with his latest film, a cosmic horror comedy entitled The Paragon.

A well respected comic, Jonny Brugh’s most recent role is that of Rapu in the successful superhero franchise entry, Thor: Love and Thunder, but perhaps is better known as the Deacon in the innovative comedy horror TV series, What We Do in the Shadows.

Michelle Ang is a native of New Zealand. She performed with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. She obtained a double degree in Accounting and Chemistry. But she has worked steadily in film and television with major roles in Neighbours and Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462.

Michael Duignan sits in the director’s chair, but apparently for short stretches; he shoulders just about everything else behind the camera for this indie — writer, cinematographer, and editor besides. Could be that he wants things just so, but financial consideration may also play a part. The Paragon just went into post-production and whose budget thus far is a measly thirty thousand bucks. And whether in NZ or American, that’s chump change.

But Michael Duignan’s sweeping efforts are paying off big time. He gives the production its money’s worth, and no mistake — much more, judging from the preview available on his website. It’s no secret these days that it doesn’t take megabucks to make a movie look good, and The Paragon certainly seems a testament to that. (He still used a decent sound crew, where skimping is always a mistake — or did he take that on as well?)

The Paragon seems framed in graphic novel sensibilities as well as plot, and it looks like a lot of kooky fun. Michael Duignan promotes it primarily as a comedy, and indeed the preview displays what looks like very well timed, sharply edited funny moments. Florence Noble’s (Things Are Going Pretty Well) rendition strongly suggests satire as Lyra the psychic coach, whose ad on a flyer snags Dutch, played by Benedict Wall (Shadow in the Cloud), injured in a hit-and-run and out for spectral revenge against the driver. Alternately incredulous, bamboozled, or slack jawed at Lyra’s ministrations, he doesn’t get a jot more transcendental — but gets more than he signed up for.

But there are scenes in the preview that convey the creepy horror mood pretty effectively, which is lucky for New Zealand audiences, who will get a chance to screen The Paragon on October 1st, with Halloween right around the corner. Here’s hoping that cosmic comedy horror buffs in the U.S. and internationally get a look-see also. The lean cast also includes Jessica Grace Smith (Westside), Shadon Meredith (Spartacus), Cameron Rhodes (Housebound), and Chloe White (Creamerie). 

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The Paragon will be released in New Zealand on October 1, 2023. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Reddit, and Flipboard.