Fan favorite actor Michael Vlamis (CW’s Roswell, New Mexico) makes his feature directorial debut with emotionally devastating, hypnotically unique mystery/drama, Crossword. In addition to directing, Vlamis also writes, produces, and stars as lead, James. Notably, the inspiration here was an incredibly personal story for Vlamis, whose best friend died in his arms, and inspired the heartbreak at the center of this tragic tale. The vital quality shows in every cutting moment of the frenetic editing. A slow burn movie that eventually lands powerful blows of emotion, Crossword filters grief through a sharp psychological thriller lens.
In the opening, a horrific scene plays out just out of frame. A drowning occurs, with the victim being a very young girl named Lily. A year goes by, and Lily’s parents have both attempted to move on from the horrible incident that claimed her life. Tessa (Aurora Perrineau) has evolved into a successful children’s book author, penning “Lily Learns.” James (Vlamis), meanwhile, has become a hollow shell of a person, hopelessly lost in his mourning. The haunting death of Lily drives a fissure between the couple. Tessa playfully suggests that James should make solving the daily crossword puzzles an essential part of his daily routine.
Rather than having a calming effect, the crosswords send James down a spiral of hopeless obsession. He begins to notice appalling parallels between the clues and his day-to-day life, often jarringly so. Their bizarre alignment suggests something more sinister may be at play. Could the puzzle grid hide vital truths? The structure of a crossword puzzle extends down to every aspect of the film, from the opening credits to the split in between each day, all appearing as the letters of a puzzle. Crossword works best when it flirts with its own ambiguousness, twisting the knife of tension as James spirals deeper into the unknown.
Performances are strong across the board, especially Vlamis as James, who carries the film with a quiet despair. Moments like the hide-and-seek game where a guest enters their dead daughter’s room or a magazine interview gone awry serve to emphasize the stilted relationship between James and Tessa. Grief often emerges when one least expects its presence to become known. Processing it can be even more unmanageable. Vlamis allows his characters to drown in their tragedy, leaving it up to them to find their way to the surface.
Crossword is disturbing, deeply sad, and impressively crafted. Lily’s passing lingers over both the darker and lighter elements of the script. Vlamis manages to underline James’s paranoia through intense close-up and the sounds of pencils scrawling letters onto paper. He shows great promise throughout as James gets swallowed up by an unthinkable tragedy. Can we overcome our demons, and figure out how to live even when seemingly the most important person in the world has been snatched from us? Crossword presents this question and many others, though there can be no easy answers.
Solve the Crossword at 2025’s Chattanooga Film Festival, virtual component.
