The prologue of Gaslight, written and directed by Harold Jackson III, is a bit confusing. It begins with Dupree (Shaun Woodland) drinking the night away, lamenting the state of his marriage. The next thing he knows, he’s being arrested for the murder of his wife. Dupree is shocked at the discovery, but the evidence suggests only he can have done this. As such, the man is convicted and put away for life.
“…has the burden of life caused Brooke’s mental acumen to crack once again?”
After the title card, two people, an older man and a younger woman, are talking on a pier. The woman, Brooke (Melan Perez), is about to get married, and the man, her father, wants to speak with her beforehand. He isn’t thrilled with her choice of spouse, aspiring musician Mathias (Benton Greene). Okay, how does this line up with the first 3 minutes? Is the father meant to be an older Dupree who’s still somewhat distant from his daughter after his incarceration? Nope. How does the beginning tie into the main story? Well, the screenplay does not circle back to Dupree for roughly an hour. Unlike in a slasher film, where that first kill establishes the killer’s look and weapon of choice, this actually does not help lay the foundation for the plot whatsoever. So, what is the thriller actually about?
Gaslight really gets underway sometime after her wedding, with Brooke’s father having passed away. Between this tragedy and a mental break she had not long ago, Brooke feels the pressure from all angles. Her father left her a sizable inheritance, which only adds to her stress, as Mathias does not bring in a ton of money from his music career. And things only get worse from here, as several large withdrawals have been made from the inheritance. She confronts Mathias, but he denies any wrongdoing. Is someone siphoning money from her? If so, why? Or has the burden of life caused Brooke’s mental acumen to crack once again?
"…one helluva good time."
