One Point O. (Paranoia 1.0)

One Point O. (Paranoia 1.0) 2004

Written and Directed By: Jeff Renfroe & Marteinn Thorsson

DVD Release Date: January 2005

Paranoia 1.0 is a moody film noir set presumably in the present day/near future, though the surrounding architecture and décor reflects a WWII era atmosphere (high ceilings, rich wood accents and vintage fixtures), and the technology is considerably low tech (rotary dial telephones, monochromatic computer screens and archaic keyboards.) These details combine with the surreal events to create a perpetual state of disorientation.

Simon J., played aptly by Jeremy Sisto (who also produced), is a lonely, subdued computer programmer who works from his small, dingy apartment – writing or deciphering “code” for a larger corporation – of whom we only see his aggressive supervisor (Richard Rees) over a videophone. Awaking one morning, Simon finds a plain brown-wrapped box, tied with string, outside his door. Upon opening it, the box is empty. Simon goes about his day with a trip to the supermarket, purchasing his quart of milk and newspaper for over $20, and asking his neighbours if they delivered a package to him.

Throughout his brief trips from his dark apartment to the brightness of the supermarket, we meet the other characters who reside in this apartment building – Derrick (Udo Kier) – excited about his ever-changing self-cleaning sofa (using nanobyte technology), and building himself a robotic son “Adam”; Kinky Porno-director neighbour (Bruce Payne), who invents a first person “game” that takes the player into the action, obliterating all experience in the real world; Trish (Deborah Unger), the mysterious cancer ward nurse who works nights; the landlord (Emil Hostina), whose obsession with his video surveillance takes precedence over all else; and Howard (Lance Henrickson), the inventor turned building handyman, whose seems the most sane of the bunch despite his paranoid ramblings and self induced isolation.

As strange deaths occur in the apartment building, Simon receives more of these packages - placed inside his apartment– prompting him to take measures to fortify his home. Through his reluctance to leave the apartment, and his need for security items, we meet Nile (Eugene Byrd) – a bicycle courier who sells and installs security systems, virus protection, Nature Fresh milk and even takes blood samples for lab analysis.

Simon falls deeper into both physical and mental illness, his paranoia consuming him and his need for consumption increasing. His search for answers results in only more questions – the viewer left as confused and disoriented as Simon himself is. The only sources of information to him are cryptic messages on his computer, phone calls from his neighbour’s robotic “son”, and frantic advice from his courier to stop drinking Nature Fresh Milk.

To say anything more about the events that occur in this film would defeat the purpose of watching the movie. Directors Jeff Renfroe and Matreinn Thorsson effectively deliver a Kafka-esque story, with inspiration drawn also from Orwell, Cronenberg, and Lynch. By the end of the movie, no concrete answers are received, only more speculation – allowing the viewer to reach our own conclusions of the “facts” of the film.