Aaron Ploof
Conjuring a mood of disorientation in a film is difficult. The filmmakers must have a firm understanding of the story, and the actors must grasp their character’s paranoia. Additionally, the shots of the film must convey the atmosphere that everything is building towards confusion. This Tempting Madness (2026), the first feature film directed by Jennifer E. Montgomery, achieves all these things and more. This is a stellar first effort for Montgomery and her husband, Andrew Davis (the screenwriter). The duo works together to create a film filled with dark poetry. It warns of the unreliability of memory and the damage that a manipulative relationship can leave.
The film begins abruptly, with our main character, Mia (Simone Ashley), falling from a high balcony at the airport. She slams into several obstacles on her way down, hitting her head and lower body before being caught by a safety net far below. Then, she awakens in a hospital, having incurred severe damage to her jaw and her leg. Her family is nearby, but one person seems to be missing. Jake (Austin Stowell), her husband, is nowhere in sight. Still, her brother, Ajay (Suraj Sharma), and her mother, Lakshmi (Zenobia Shroff), attempt to console her, although they are evasive about his whereabouts. As Mia’s daughter, Aurora (Niya Brahmbhatt), welcomes her back to the world, Mia still yearns for the one she loves.
Finally, her family relents. They tell her the unthinkable: that Jake pushed her from the balcony. Yet, Mia refuses to believe it. Tony (Mojean Aria), a detective, shows her footage proving only she and Jake were on the balcony. He takes Jake into custody to await his trial. Then, when Mia is released from the hospital, she finds texts from before the accident. Jake was clearly quickly losing his grip on reality and experiencing extreme paranoia. As memories flood in and out of Mia’s consciousness, she must wrestle with a difficult choice. Will she speak at Jake’s trial, potentially endangering someone else at his potential release? Is he manipulating her? And why does she keep having blackouts?
This Tempting Madness hits all the right notes, exploring these questions through the lens of a psychological thriller keeping viewers invested. Given the genre, the tone is immediately set in the opening moments of the film, with quick cuts, bright colors, and disorienting camera work. As Mia awakens in the hospital, we get full-on first-person POV shots that immediately put us in her headspace. By setting the entire first portion of the film in Mia’s hospital room and even waiting a while to reveal her family’s names, viewers will feel isolated right alongside our protagonist.
As Mia loses her grip on reality, movie watchers will similarly feel fractured, questioning what she questions and seeking similar answers. Although it won’t take long for viewers to determine whether Jake is safe, the problems and themes that his relationship with Mia brings to the surface are universal and important. The topic of men’s controlling and abusive behavior is making its way to the forefront of film right now, especially with the release of Curry Barker’s Obsession.
Simone Ashley brings Mia to life perfectly in all her bewilderment, confusion, and dire desperation. She embodies a woman split between two different possibilities. As Jake gets under her skin and pulls her along in his game, she grows increasingly hostile towards her family members, especially her mother and brother. Ashley can play both headstrong and agreeable with aplomb, which especially factors into a later twist in the storyline. The twist is thankfully foreshadowed multiple times throughout the film and is well integrated.
The other actors also meet their mark. Stowell plays Jake as a multidimensional character who, although not gaining our sympathy, brings multiple levels to his makeup. Shamra gets us on his side immediately, portraying Ajay with initial compassion, but eventual frustration at his sister’s reluctance to accept the fact that Jake is no good. Shroff plays a caring mother.
This Tempting Madness is mad good filmmaking, especially for a director’s first feature film. It’s nearly without flaws, telling its story in an intriguing, disturbing, and thrilling way. Excellent performances, an intriguing premise (built on actual events), and a strong script ensures this one is not to be missed.
