The Misconceived

A failed filmmaker turned single dad tries to make a living while retaining his sense of self, in James N. Kienitz Wilkins’ experimental 3D-rendered home renovation comedy, which doubles as an acidic treatise on working conditions for the contemporary creative.

Tyler, a single father in need of work, takes a job working on an upstate country dream-home renovation belonging to his ex-college friend, Tobin, who is now a successful sculptor. That Tyler himself used to be a filmmaker becomes the focus point of his fellow workers and ultimately the film itself, culminating in an art-adjacent gathering that could potentially explode any remnants of his sense of self. Rapid fire conversations between workers from different class and racial backgrounds propel the narrative forward, with many jabs and many laughs along the way, ultimately offering an irreverent essay on work, white privilege and indie filmmaking in the 2020s.

Taking place exclusively within work hours, the new feature film by James N. Kienitz Wilkins (This Action Lies, 2018; Indefinite Pitch, 2016) is a millennial social satire exploring a contemporary world where what you do is who you are – and determines your level of cultural relevance. As befits a filmmaker continually playing with cinematic form and visual language, the film is rendered entirely within a video game engine, utilising motion capture, facial recognition, voice performance and a vast library of stock media.

– Michelle Carey

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