Not long ago, an article caught my eye about the not very good Jurassic World: Dominion. It dug into the film’s budget, a stroke-inducing $531 million. Presumably, it was insanely expensive due to the visual effects, usage of sets, salaries of stars, and lengthy production time.* That film is allegedly the second most expensive movie ever made, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens being the most expensive with a budget of $536 million.**

Because I enjoy annoying myself, I looked up the most expensive films in history, and Wikipedia helpfully listed them here. Do me a favor, please, and check out that article. You’ll see that the vast, vast majority of those films range from not so great to pretty good. There are a few full-on stinkers. There are not many classics.

Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not one of those cinema snobs that haughtily proclaims that the films of Bela Tarr or six hour long documentaries about ice dancing are superior to summer blockbusters, because come on. What I am saying is that budget does not equal quality. Exhibit A is Nothing Solid, an indie dramedy that looks like it was made for about sixty bucks, yet it is made with formidable intelligence and sly humor. 

We’re introduced to Nikki (Sharisse Zeroonian), who is positively not living her best life. At age twenty-five, she’s finally moving into her own place. Is she surrounded by family who cheer her on and joyously help cart her stuff to the new apartment? She is not, and in fact, the only one available to give Nikki a hand is Jack (Roderick Wilmore), a neighbor and beloved friend.

You get the sense that Nikki’s relationship with her parents is complicated, and it is! Part of the problem is her overbearing mother Ani (Louise Mara), who never hesitates to criticize Nikki and always believes her criticisms are helpful. A whole different problem is with her emotionally distant father Haig (James J. LaBonte), who simply isn’t around much. He’s one of those parents that believes little things like affection and communication are useless considering he’s given her a place to live.  

Work is not much better for Nikki. She has a part-time job at her Armenian church, where she helps to contribute to the newsletter. Most of her co-workers and management aren’t awesome, yet she does have her work friend Tamar (Julie Destefano). She also has a lingering health problem, a few actually. Migraines. Nausea…no, worse than just nausea, vomiting multiple times daily. Nikki’s health has always been this way, only now it’s getting worse.

What Nikki doesn’t know is that she’s afflicted with cyclic vomiting syndrome, a rare disorder with both physical and psychological aspects. That’s why her doctor orders tests and rounds of different medications, and also why Nikki is referred to Dr. Miller (Russell J. Gannon), a perceptive psychiatrist. With his help, Nikki will choose to either reckon with her past or continue her cycle of misery.

Remember when I said that the budget of Nothing Solid appears to be just this side of microscopic? Not an exaggeration. The film’s iffy sound quality is due to a lack of consistency with both mics and crew. I assume the dodgy color timing is also because of severe budgetary limitations. And you know what? I don’t care about any of that. One of the upsides of both the internet and technological innovations is the vast leveling of the playing field. You don’t need millions of dollars, an army of cast and crew, and big studio backing to make a film. You just need your phone, commonly available apps, and willpower. Director Sharisse Zeroonian understood that, gathered what resources she had available, and made her movie. That fact alone is a massive accomplishment. 

Zeroonian wrote the screenplay, and much of the character of Nikki is based on Zeroonian’s own experiences. She felt compelled to tell this story,*** and did so with intelligence and sensitivity. That’s not to suggest the entire film is a painfully earnest account of trauma-based GI issues. Large parts of the script are funny as hell, and I chuckled repeatedly at Nikki’s panicky sarcasm. Speaking of dialogue, Zeroonian does solid work at giving all of her characters individual voices. Her dialogue is stylish when it needs to be, yet she never falls into the trap of making everyone sound the same.

Lately, I’ve seen a run of indie films where the cast can best be described as “charmingly enthusiastic.” That wasn’t the case here, and Zeroonian gets natural performances from her actors. The portrayal of an overly critical mother has been done roughly eleventy squintillion times, and I appreciated that Louise Mara’s Ani wasn’t simply more of the same. It’s true that Ani has no filter between her brain and mouth, yet Mara’s performance balances that with genuine love for Nikki and Ani’s likely undiagnosed anxiety. It’s a good contrast to the stoic performance of James J. LaBonte as Haig. Watch the scene later in the film between him and Zeroonian, as Haig is forced to reckon with how he’s parented and been parented. It’s a good performance delivered with great subtlety.

But the two foundational performances are Zeroonian herself as Nikki, and Russell J. Gannon as Dr. Miller. Nikki is the flashier role, and Zeroonian plays her as a charming mess. Nikki knows she’s got issues. When she’s lived the way she has for her entire life, though, her issues look an awful lot like the way things simply are. Nikki makes mistakes, screws up on a grand scale, and gets in her own way. Over time, we see her grow, improve, change, while still being Nikki. It’s an insightful and fearless performance from Zeroonian. Her therapy scenes with Russell J. Gannon are the best in the film. Gannon understands one of the most powerful tools in a therapist’s toolbox is silence. His Dr. Miller allows Nikki to joke, digress, sulk, and share. As she does, he sits quietly and files everything away. When he speaks, he’s careful, thoughtful. Their chemistry is warm, wary, and compelling.

After you read this review, you can cruise on over to YouTube and watch Nothing Solid for free. You absolutely should. It’s true that the film is janky, and I will watch a film that’s janky as hell that overflows with heart, as opposed to a technically accomplished and soulless monstrosity like The Electric State. Look past the technical flaws, and if you squint, you’ll see a glimpse of the kind of artist Zeroonian will be in the future. She’s a compelling cinematic voice, and attention should be paid to her.

*The film was made in England, Canada, and Malta during the pandemic.

**Presumably because it was shot on location.

***It reminds me of reading about Tom Holland’s experience making The Odyssey for Christopher Nolan, and how the experience seems to have rewired his brain in terms of why a movie should be made. You can read more about that here.

Tim Brennan Movie Critic

Tim has been alarmingly enthusiastic about movies ever since childhood. He grew up in Boulder and, foolishly, left Colorado to study Communications in Washington State. Making matters worse, he moved to Connecticut after meeting his too-good-for-him wife. Drawn by the Rockies and a mild climate, he triumphantly returned and settled down back in Boulder County. He's written numerous screenplays, loves hiking, and embarrassed himself in front of Samuel L. Jackson. True story.