Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Directed by Michael Vlamis
Written by Kyle Anderson and Michael Vlamis
Crossword (2024) is a psychological thriller that pays close attention to the smallest details and is rich in symbolism. James is struggling to come to terms with the drowning of his young daughter, Lily. His grief is expressed through the daily crossword puzzle, which he believes is an omen communicating with him. Michael Vlamis makes his feature directorial debut with this emotionally packed drama. Though it is only horror adjacent, this film was the highlight of the 2025 Popcorn Frights Film Festival for me.
Puzzles are inherently tricky things. They require focus and intellectual rigor to process properly. Crossword presents layers of metaphor and suggestion, requiring the characters to interpret events and clues from their environment and the titular puzzle. The Rorschach Test that challenges James proves that some people can take the WRONG interpretation way too far.
This is an emotionally charged psychodrama, and though it doesn’t resort to violence and gore, it is an incredibly tense film at times. Crossword captures the liminal moments to display an object that will prompt both the audience and the characters to consider, “Huh… that’s strange.” You then find yourself staring intently at the film, wondering whether the next object presented is a clue. Or, if, as the old Freudian aphorism goes, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”
It makes for a very engaging film, and the lingering shots and tight zoom still-lifes that Vlamis employs invite you into this game. Are we playing the puzzle, or is the puzzle playing us?
The Cast of Crossword
- Michael Vlamis plays James, a young architect with an eye for detail. He is obsessive and is quick to jump to conclusions. He also cannot manage to let go of the tragedy, and he blames himself both overtly and subconsciously.
- Aurora Perrineau plays Tessa, James’ wife, who has managed to process the tragedy better than her husband. Her career is about to take off, but James’ erratic behavior threatens to destabilize her life completely.
- Harvey Guillen plays Terry Becker, a writer for Profile Magazine, who could elevate Tessa’s career with a good interview.
- Sara Ramos plays Emily, one of Tessa’s best friends and confidants.
- Nick Thune plays Dave, Emily’s partner, and an obnoxious blowhard. But he’s Emily’s significant other, so Teassa and James put up with him. Barely.
A Synopsis of Crossword
James and Tessa are a successful professional couple who recently lost their daughter to a drowning accident in the pool in their backyard. Tessa has channelled her loss by writing an award worthy children’s book titled “Lily learns how to Swim.” James, on the other hand, has become a hot, drunken mess.
In order to find a mental refuge from his grief, James turns to his beloved crossword puzzles. He is so invested in the medium that his marriage proposal to Tessa was made via a crossword, so this is a safe harbor for him. It works initially, but then some curious anomalies seem to be projected from the crossword itself. We see Edward Hopper’s famous “Nighthawks” painting framed on their wall, and later, one of the crossword clues states Hopper’s Diner. Observant movie watchers with some semblance of art history knowledge will leap to the same conclusion as James. “Nighthawks!”
A coincidence? Perhaps.
Then, a clue reveals “Brandon Lee’s Last Movie.” Astute film buffs would know the answer is “The Crow.” At the same instant that we and James figure out that clue, a crow smashes into the patio glass door. Coincidence? It sure seems ominous. When James becomes agitated about the puzzle, suggesting clues to him physically, Tessa claims that this is a form of synchronicity. It may seem like the puzzle is demonstrating cosmically, but really, this is imprinting behavior.
James cannot shake the feeling. Paranoia sets in. He aggressively distrusts anybody approaching their home. The next day, when James is filling in the new crossword, the answers he is filling in are all somehow tied to Lily’s drowning. Grief, guilt, and rage build up in James, and he lashes out at the worst possible moment. Terry Becker is giving Tessa an interview upstairs in the living room that could be a huge career boost. James barges upstairs and goes into a complete meltdown rant about the puzzle.
The psychosomatic visions overwhelm James. His antisocial behavior escalates to a fever pitch. Will he be able to pull out of that psychotic spiral, or will he end up hurting himself or the ones he loves?
Evaluation of Crossword
Drink your coffee before watching this movie. It will demand your attention and focus. This handles the minutiae like a mystery novel, flooding the story with plenty of details to follow. Most importantly, Michael Vlamis channels James with a desperate, snot, sweat, and tear-filled emotional performance. I appreciate that his mania is a bit like a bouncing ball. He freaks out, then recognizes his foolish thoughts, and recovers a bit, only to fall deeper into his darkest thoughts.
Even when he launches into his more aggressive tirades, they aren’t completely without justification. The people around him are colorful personalities who present a challenging interaction even for somebody who is completely stable. Sometimes it can be hard to empathize with a crazy character, but you root for James, even when he appears to be on a track to utter destruction. Vlamis has positioned himself both as a director and an actor for much bigger things. His career appears to be getting a huge break with his casting in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming blockbuster, The Odyssey.
Aurora Perrineau also puts in a fantastic performance. Tessa seems to be the more stable spouse, but her coping mechanism is to run away, both literally and figuratively, from the situation. (She goes on frequent jogs in this movie.) She walks the line of loving attention, soothing negotiations, and frustrated resignation. She’s trying, but it might be too little too late for her and James.
Harvey Guillen is a welcome addition as a curious writer who wants Tessa to spill her emotional guts about the nature of her book. He applies subtle pressure with a smile, and Tessa remains evasive. Nick Thune is a punch-in-the-face-worthy annoyance who provides a pivotal crossroads moment in Crossword. He’s awful, and by that, I mean he’s a perfect antagonistic foil.
The Symbolism of Crossword
Symbolism runs strong in this film. James is certainly an unreliable narrator, and it becomes difficult to determine if what we are seeing is real or part of his imagination.
The movie featured several symbolic touches that were powerful and apt. Crosswords, of course, are interpretive. As a measure of the mind, you can force a puzzle to be what you want it to be. James is forced to reconcile the actual puzzle answers to a crossword with his own darkly morbid interpretation, but he’s in too deep. Also, the use of lilies is poignant.
Lilies are often associated with death. Tessa and James fastidiously care for a bed of lilies in their front yard, perhaps in memory of their daughter, Lily, but the flowers don’t come to bloom until the fateful conclusion of the film. Symbolism! The use of Nighthawks as the literal frame of reference is similarly brilliant. That is a piece of art that suggests a couple in a bar, both present, but lonely and isolated. It’s a nice metaphor for the house that Tessa and Lily are living in. Crows, too, are omens. Dead crows… not a good sign.
Concluding Thoughts
Crossword is edited and filmed beautifully. It leans more towards the thriller/mystery genre than pure horror. Vlamis and Perrineau inject plenty of dramatic tension into the plot, so the intensity level will be high for sensitive viewers.
Crossword debuted last year at the Austin Film Festival. It remains on the film festival circuit and was one of the showcase films at the Popcorn Frights Film Festival. The movie is not rated, and could fall into R-rated territory for language, but there is no gore or sexual content that would be particularly objectionable for parental warnings.
I highly recommend this film for fans of mysteries and liminal thrillers. It is an absolute must-watch for fans of puzzles and crosswords. Those of you looking for a blood-and-guts slasher may want to check out a different movie.
Review by Eric Li
