The Muse: A Review

The Muse is an old-school gothic suspense thriller of a film with a modern twist. Skillfully written and directed by Rufus Chaffee, it tells the story of Addison Taylor (played by Isaac Simons).

Addison is a popular rock star who after enjoying recent success with his catchy single “Like a Porn Star” finds himself on the hunt for an ever elusive source of inspiration for some follow up songs. In an effort to escape the distractions of city life, he holes himself up in a lakeside cabin where he meets his mysterious, titular “Muse” played with an eery yet fluid grace and subtlety by Marguerite Insolia.

The supporting performances are strong across the board but, I enjoyed two of them in particular. Mike Pfaff’s “Mikey” channels a smarminess that may remind a few viewers of some of Matthew Lillard’s work. Renee Miller, on the other hand, offers a slightly coarser counterpoint as a local lakeside resident who pops up to offer Addison some unsolicited advice.

The music alone makes the movie worth watching. The songs were supplied and performed by Isaac Simons himself and if they’re any indication of the strength of the rest of his material, I look forward to listening to more of it.  

The plot has many different layers to it and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who might be reading this. What I will say is that this is a thriller crafted as it should be – one where the tension builds slowly and purposefully before really scaring the hell out of people in the third act.

For further information on the The Muse, please visit the filmmakers' main website.