WALKER & HARLEY FILMS and FATHOM STUDIOS today announced the upcoming release of Buddhist Blues, a gripping new feature film written and directed by Glen Merzer. Masterfully crafted to unfold in absolute real time, the film traps audiences in the room as four lives unravel in less than ninety minutes, delivering the raw, uninterrupted tension of an award-winning Broadway play captured on screen.
While television has famously utilized this high-wire narrative device in thrillers like 24, and cinema has explored it in classics like Rope, Before Sunset, and 12 Angry Men, Buddhist Blues applies the real-time pressure cooker to an intimate, explosive character drama. By stripping away cinematic ellipsis and time jumps, the film forces viewers to experience every breath, hesitation, and confrontation alongside the characters in agonizing sync.
Set in 1993 in St. Louis, the story follows Lou (Eric Wolfgang Nelson), a man living outside the law and deeply estranged from his Jewish family. In a desperate bid for connection, he risks visiting his cousin Susan (Jenna Sofia), a psychiatrist navigating her own fresh divorce from her ex-husband, Nick (Andre Silva). The fuse is lit when Lou’s Black girlfriend, Lili (Nikai Mitchell), arrives at Susan’s home ahead of him. From the moment Lili steps through the door, a countdown begins. Over the next 90 minutes, long-buried secrets, cultural friction, and familial wounds collide, altering all four lives forever before the credits roll.
“Real-time storytelling leaves nowhere for the characters—or the audience—to hide,” says writer-director Glen Merzer. “Like great theater, the stakes organically escalate because you cannot cut away from the discomfort or the truth. It demands absolute precision from the actors and the filmmaking team.”
The film boasts a meticulous production design by Joanna Samorow-Merzer and evocative cinematography by Hezekiah Condron, capturing the claustrophobic intimacy of the setting. The creative team is rounded out by costume designer Hannah Gates, editor Ryan Meyer, and an original score by Travis Puntarelli. Buddhist Blues is produced by Aaron Markham, with Brian Herskowitz serving as consulting producer, and Tyler Kanczuzewski and Mark Glick serving as executive producers.
Distribution details and festival premiere dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
Watch Buddhist Blues: https://buddhistblues.com/
About WALKER & HARLEY FILMS & FATHOM STUDIOS
Walker & Harley Films and Fathom Studios are independent production companies dedicated to character-driven, provocative storytelling that challenges traditional cinematic structures.