Founder/Editor James Shotwellis spending all week (and most of next week) covering theIndependent FIlm Festival Boston. Each day James will be filling us in on the previous night’s films, parties, and any additional info he finds.

I recently took a hauntingly real look into the life of a dreamer with nothing left to lose in Tristan Patterson’s debut documentary feature, Dragonslayer. The film follows Josh “Skreech” Sandoval, a wayward professional skater with a child he rarely sees and no home to call his own as he (very) slowly comes into adulthood. Once known for his skills, Skreech lost everything during a bout wit depression and now lives a life buit on good intention, but flawed by old habits.

For a debut, Patterson wastes no time setting up a truly unique film. Shot almost entirely without interview or narration, the film is essentially a backseat view of someone else’s life whose living recklessly. Not only are you there when Skreech sneaks into pools for practice or wows crowds on a sponsor-funded trip to Europe, but also when he’s sleeping in a friend’s backyard because he’s homeless and smoking weed with his seemingly well-adjusted girlfriend as well.

Dragonslayer Is a no holds barred, heart-wrenching, gut turning, moral destroying trip into a life that’s gone off the rails and all you can do is hold on and hope everyone makes it out alive.

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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