For the Plasma

For the Plasma begins in a remote house on the coast of Maine, where a young woman named Helen has found work as a forest-fire lookout responsible for monitoring the nearby woodland. While analyzing CCTV footage of the surrounding forest, she discovers she can reconfigure her perception to predict shifts in global financial markets. But when her inquisitive and demanding friend Charlie arrives at the house, Helen finds herself challenged and unsettled by her new colleague, and the two girls’ relationship begins to unravel. From this cryptic premise grows a lo-fi mind-bender of intimate scale and startling relevance that flirts with sci-fi and horror conventions, even as it subverts them. To the strains of an electronic score, For the Plasma juxtaposes pastoral imagery with surveillance technology, every shade and shadow captured in gorgeous 16mm.

Directed by Bingham Bryant, Kyle Molzan, For the Plasma leans on a strong ensemble — Rosalie Lowe, Anabelle LeMieux, Tom Lloyd — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2014.