The Ego Death Of Queen Cecilia marks the feature-length debut of writer-director Chris Beier, from a story by himself and Daniel Wolfman. The Austin-based man uses what he has available: the vast desert, the border, and modern technology to utilize in the production. Does everything coalesce, or is the first-time filmmaker in over his head?
Cecilia (Jo Schaeffer) was once a very famous YouTube star, but that was years ago. Now, she delivers Amazon packages and makes the occasional video that gets a handful of views if she’s lucky. Cecilia, not exactly being the brightest, decides to photo-confirm a delivery only then to swipe the box herself. The contents are a pair of sleek, black Louis Vuitton shoes that the has-been influencer uses as a giveaway in her latest video to keep up appearances. Of course, this action does not go unnoticed, and Cecilia promptly gets fired.
Unsure of what to do next, while sitting in an almost vacant parking lot, Cecilia notices a classmate from high school delivering drugs. She records the whole thing from her phone and decides to blackmail the man, whose name is Brad (Sam Stinson). This does not go as planned, and soon, the lady is in over her head, having to deal with Brad’s ruthless bosses. Will Cecilia ever find where she belongs, or will her brush with dangerous druglords be the end of her?
Let’s get one thing about The Ego Death Of Queen Cecilia clear right away: the titular character is an idiot. At all turns, she makes the stupidest decisions possible. Near the end, she finally makes a smart one, but it comes with a tragic price tag. The writing never delves into Cecilia’s YouTube content at the height of her fame, nor is her downfall explored any more than “no longer famous.” A forthcoming film is mentioned at one point, but was it a hit or a failure? No one knows because Cecilia is one-dimensional.
“…Cecilia notices a classmate from high school delivering drugs…and decides to blackmail the man…”
That isn’t to say that what befalls the lead isn’t compelling, as the character is, to some degree, meant to be moronic (just not as flat). The clue is right there in the title, “ego.” Cecilia’s ego does not let her see past the fame she wants back. As such, she always thinks she can out-talk or out-maneuver anyone, but the reality is much different. There is something satisfying about seeing this narcissist get taken down a few pegs for 85 minutes.
The Ego Death Of Queen Cecilia gets a boost from Schaeffer. The actor is fantastic in a role that requires the audience to dislike the character often. The way her defensive walls go up immediately when confronted with anything Cecilia does not care for feels real and a little sad. A scene between Cecilia, her sister, and her niece brings a sense of connection, or lack thereof, to the role that helps ground the world if not her actions. The rest of the cast is equally as good, but this is the Schaeffer show, and for good reason.
Beier directs like a true maverick. His cinematography is epic, capturing the huge environments engulfing Cecilia, cementing how alone she is, and highlighting her tunnel vision of herself. The pace is remarkably brisk, as there’s nothing that can be trimmed here (in fact, as alluded to, some more should be added to flesh out the character entirely). The switch from semi-comedic drama to thriller works well and keeps the proceedings from feeling stale.
As a director, Beier is more than talented enough to serve up several engaging films if this is anything to go by. This is especially true since he’s proven to have a real eye for talent. As a screenwriter, he needs to shore up a few things and go deeper into the motivations of his characters. Overall though, The Ego Death Of Queen Cecilia is a promising start from a fresh-faced filmmaker.
For more information, visit the official The Ego Death Of Queen Cecilia site.
"…this is the Schaeffer show, and for good reason."
