When a girl watches a self-help YouTube video, she takes the advice too far.

Director’s Vision

THE ACQUIESCENT is a cautionary tale from the female perspective about the harmful effects of not asserting your own opinions and bottling up emotions rather than confronting them, as well as the toxicity of technological influences. In making this film, I wanted to showcase the dark side and inner psyche of a people-pleaser.

Because she craves validation, the main character, Casey, will do anything for people to like her, especially silence her own voice. But every time she feels trampled on or fails to speak up, she stores a kernel of resentment in the back of her brain, especially toward the people she loves. Well-intentioned, she turns to the Internet to solve her problems, but she falls victim to subconscious manipulation and sinks back into the vicious, never-ending cycle of not being able to think for herself. This film explores Casey’s twisted perspective and justification of her final tipping point and shows how silence, ignorance, and desperation can lead someone down a dark path.

While that all sounds dark and depressing, as the filmmaker I added in a touch of off-the-cuff humor and pop culture references juxtaposed by classical music, along with neon mood lighting, to heighten the ridiculous reality of the situation. Because, at the end of the day, what would you do if your roommate always ate your leftovers?