After her relationship with NYPD intelligence agent Gerard ends terribly, tired and disillusioned actress Stephanie hides in a house where a band is working on a record, which proves to be less of an escape than she imagined.

A self-described ‘screwball thriller’, Slow Machine defies the boundaries of genre and those of the reality of the film. It also transgresses into other art forms; music, literature, and performance all seep into the dense and non-linear narrative, which is further underlined by the diverse cast consisting of performance artist Stephanie Hayes, indie darling Chloë Sevigny, and musician Eleanor Friedberger. This narrative form is complemented by the use of 16mm film, which creates a visual tone both eerie and grungy, yet also soft and intimate. In the words of Philip Larkin, whose work and influence are apparent throughout the film, the “unbeatable slow machine” of life “brings what you’ll get”. The result is equally dark and playful.