Crossword movie poster
Crossword is a 2024 feature film starring Sarah Ramos, Harvey Guillén, Aurora Perrineau, and Michael Vlamis. It was directed by Michael Vlamis and written by Vlamis together with Kyle Anderson.
Following the death of their daughter, Tessa focuses on her acclaimed children’s book series, Lily Learns, while her husband, James, attempts to find solace in the daily crossword, but quickly unravels as it takes on a mind of its own.
Poster artwork by YENCE Studio, using Neue Montreal.
From the Austin Film Festival website:
Over the course of one week, Crossword tracks an unraveling couple’s fragile emotional state as they grapple with the death of their daughter. Anchoring by powerful, grounded performances by our two main characters, we feel for both husband and wife as they each attempt to navigate life and marriage in the wake of tragedy. The film is a masterclass in allowing the audience to discover the plot as it unfolds: it never tells us directly what our characters are battling, but it shows us in their every glance.
The tension mounts as the husband becomes increasingly anxious and paranoid, and the wife becomes increasingly frustrated by his antics. As the man, possessed by his own guilt from the fatal accident, devolves into a volatile frenzy, the audience begins to question whether we can trust his version of events. The suspense builds and builds with each eerie incident, culminating in a shocking turn of events that leaves us questioning everything we know about this world and its characters.
