Entertainment
A Safe Distance review: Dont overlook this sexy, sapphic thriller
With no big stars, no flashy elevator pitch, and no provocative title, A Safe Distance might well get overlooked at its world premiere out of the 2026 SXSW film festival. And that would be the world’s loss. Written by Aidan West, A Safe Distance is a lean and scintillating thriller that wears its influences — the works of Patricia Highsmith — on its sleeve without apology. The feature directorial debut of Gloria Mercer, this film is slippery, seductive, and smartly titillating.
Like any psychological noir worth the price of salt, A Safe Distance begins in medias res, with a gunshot boom and a spatter of blood across a woman’s face. In the woods, she and another woman, also marked with blood, walk quietly to a river and wash away the signs of violence. Who are they? And how did they get here? Where did the blood come from?
By hooking us with the promise of a shocking murder, A Safe Distance begins as a mystery before leaping back in time to a seemingly mundane camping trip. What follows, however, is the kind of fateful meeting that is the stuff of Highsmith novels like The Price of Salt, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Strangers on a Train. When strangers meet, anything is possible, including love and murder.
A Safe Distance dares to tread the path less traveled.
The story begins with a thirtysomething couple, Alex (Bethany Brown) and Joey (Chris McNally), celebrating their eighth anniversary with a camping trip in a sprawling forest. It should be romantic, but beneath her pleasant exterior, Alex seems bored. When Joey turns a cliffside hike into a cringingly clichéd opportunity to propose, she’s not enthusiastic; she’s repulsed. Dejected, he abandons her in the woods, which is when she meets Kianna (Tandia Mercedes) and Matt (Cody Kearsley).
This couple is everything Alex and Joey are not. They are young, unconventional, and uninhibited. Alex feels lighter and more free just being in their company. At first, it might seem they’re part of the Gen Z van-life community. But before long, Alex realizes they’re not just living off the grid, they’re bank robbers on the run. And far from being fearful, she’s fascinated.
Abandoned by her banal boyfriend, not expected back at her HR job for days, and now in the hands of a pair of armed and dangerous criminals, a new world of possibilities falls before her. What could life look like if she just didn’t go home? Turned on by their devil-may-care attitudes, she’s in their thrall sexually and psychologically. Firing a gun for shooting practice becomes as thrilling as a ménage à trois. But how long can this criminal bliss last?
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A Safe Distance evolves into a sapphic romance with crackling chemistry.
Unmistakably, both Matt and Kianna are into Alex. There’s an electrifying excitement as their desire becomes a three-way flame for a steamy sex scene. But Matt soon becomes less intriguing and more tedious. Tossing his long, shiny hair and flexing his muscles, he monologues about feminism and society with a gnawing arrogance that feels like he’s pitching a podcast. So it’s little surprise when Alex brushes off his advances for a stolen kiss, and Kianna grows visibly irritated with his presumptions about his own prowess as a thief.
Stolen glances and conversations about the books of Patricia Highsmith point to where A Safe Distance is headed. I mean, two women sharing a picnic blanket, talking about the brilliance of The Price of Salt (which Todd Haynes adapted into the sumptuous queer romance Carol) is anything but subtle. But it’s not meant to be. It’s these women’s version of passing a note in class that essentially says, “I like you, do you like me? Check yes or no.”
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Brown and Mercedes are superb in these scenes. While their characters each try to maintain a facade of aloof cool, their conversation oozes with vulnerability and hopefulness. Like Highsmith’s heroes, villains, and antiheroes, they fall fast and unstoppably for a life path that society might reject as deranged, dangerous, or wicked. The dream of being not Bonnie and Clyde but Alex and Kianna is clear and glittering as they pull off an impromptu robbery at a random convenience store. Of course, Matt bristles at being left out.
From there, the heat and tension builds, promising an eruption that we know will end in blood. But whose? That question pulls the final act into a place of dizzying anxiety and anticipation. It’s a threesome turned love triangle turned deadly dance, and who will be left standing might seem obvious. But A Safe Distance has solid surprises in store.
Cheers to West and Mercer, for this is a spectacular example of smart, sexy, and satisfying indie cinema. Their locations are modest. Their production design is mostly a forest. They have only a handful of characters, and no big names to boost the production’s profile. So they lean into sharp storytelling, intoxicating chemistry, and a lean runtime of 85 minutes. A Safe Distance is terrifically paced, unapologetically alluring, and psychologically exciting, making this thriller a salty, twisted treat. The allusions to Highsmith could have hurt the film if it weren’t such a solid homage to her storytelling style. Instead, it’s easy to see Alex and Kianna among the ranks of Tom Ripley or Carol Aird, figures driven by their desires, for better or worse. And by damn, don’t we love them for it?
A Safe Distance was reviewed out of the 2026 SXSW Film Festival.
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5 Things That Surprised Me About Having a Third Child
Hello beautiful people! How are you? I’ve missed you all so much. I’ve spent the past six months on mat leave snuggling with the newest member of our family, Evelynn. After having my son, Emiliano, I wrote four things that surprised me about having a second child. So, I thought it would be fun to now share five things that have surprised me as a new mom of three…
1. The random milestones are just as beautiful as the big ones. With my first daughter, Ella, I couldn’t wait to see her hit her first few milestones, like rolling over or sitting up on her own. Now, as a mom of three, I still get the excitement for those moments. But you know what’s equally amazing? Seeing their startle reflex for the first time — when they wiggle their tiny arms like they’re trying to grab the air, as I gently lower them onto the changing table. I love listening to their snort-like grunts while they nurse. And once they get the hang of walking, I cherish their footsteps pitter-pattering down the hallway. With each baby, I’ve noticed new milestones that melt my heart.
My mat-leave uniform: oversized T-shirts, maternity leggings, and a baby on my boob 🙂
2. The urge to feel like I have it together has dropped significantly. As a recovering people pleaser, I’ve always struggled to ask for help. With my first baby, I did everything on my own. With my second, I started accepting help whenever family and friends offered. But during my pregnancy with Evelynn, I quickly realized that Max and I would need all the help we could get. So, I actually reached out to my mom with a list of chores I was struggling to get done before going into labor — including washing our bedroom sheets and cleaning the toilets (!). Part of me felt nervous asking because the chores felt so personal (again, the toilets!). But I imagined what it would feel like coming home to a disheveled home two-days postpartum, with a newborn, toddler, and four-year-old all vying for parental attention — and the anxiety I felt outweighed the embarrassment of asking. When I returned home from the hospital, my mom and grandma had knocked everything off the list – and coming home from the hospital to clean sheets was BLISS. You can always count on women to get shit done.
My aunt Annette, a true saint who always offers to help with my kids!
3. My desire to help other moms out has risen significantly. Last month, I texted a new friend who has a toddler and five-year-old. She mentioned she was sick, and without skipping a beat I offered to drop off soup for dinner. Now I’m not sharing this to brag, just to say that I felt an immediate need to help because I know how bone-achingly hard it is to be sick with two little kids. Over my five years as a mom, I’ve been so lucky to get support from other moms — by putting away a load of clean dishes when they stop by, or taking one of my kids to the potty at a restaurant so I can finish dinner. Paying these good deeds forward feels like an easy way to honor all of the women who have helped me.
4. The more kids you have, the more clearly you realize how you want to spend your time. Having three kids under five leaves me with around 30 minutes of personal time during the day. I’ve realized I like to be outside working in our veggie garden, or lying in bed reading funny novels (I flew through this one). It feels satisfying to know exactly what brings me energy and joy during this busy season.
5. Seeing the similarities between all your kids is a whole new high.
Seeing your new baby make the same eyebrow smirk that their two older siblings made as babies is magic. (Of course, you can experience this with two kids or if your kids have cousins, too.)
Now I’d love to know, what surprised you after having your first or second or third (or fourth??)? Please share below, I’m all ears! And sending love to those who are wishing or trying for a baby. xo
P.S. Three word that changed how I parent, one thing that surprised Joanna about parenting, and what’s the best age gap between siblings?
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