Review: ‘Freelance’ captures the grim reality of freelancing

“It takes goddamn forever to get paid,” an exasperated Katie (Nicole Pastor) tells a coffee shop barista after failing to have enough money for a red latte. She’s down on her luck and just needs a little pick-me-up to get through her day. We’ve certainly all been there. With a script written by Mike Gerbino, John Balazs’ Freelance focuses on the draining and thankless job of freelancing in a world where anyone could be a competitor, fracturing relationships, and leading to questions of self-worth. As the film revels in its mystery, the thematic underpinning keeps the audience riveted and emotionally invested in the story.

We first meet Katie while she’s editing a porno film. It’s all so technical as she makes cuts, reedits, and tinkers with color correction. She’s learned to emotionally detach herself from the project. She’s just been tasked with a job and nothing more. Freelancing has created a human coldness to the work. Her passion for video editing has depleted, and now, Katie simply goes through the motions. Frustration hangs in her eyes. She swiftly moves her fingers across the mouse and keyboard with a disengaged precision. She knows what she’s doing, but the fire is practically gone. Each job zaps energy from her body. There’s not much more she can give.

Several months behind on rent, Katie tests the patience of her landlord, who harbors a disdain for his tenant and refuses to fix a myriad of problems in the apartment. Their dynamic is chaotic and uncomfortable. You feel for Katie and her dilemma. It’s not so easy to work in an industry that underpays, underappreciates, and overworks you. It’s often soul-crushing tasks that have nothing to do with the job. Katie, who’d previously worked with several big-name brands and online campaigns, turned to adult video as a means of survival. She’d reached her absolute limits and welcomes the work no matter where it comes from.

That’s why when she receives a mysterious email from an unknown source, claiming to have gotten her name from a previous client, she jumps at the chance. The email says the company pays handsomely per video. We’re talking in the thousands; one of her projects brings in $4,000 alone. Only briefly questioning their intent, Katie signs on to edit what she believes to be amateur student films. In reality, she receives footage of snuff films of people being tortured, mutilated, and murdered. She questions the validity of the video clips but continues the work. She’s that desperate, after all. She can finally catch up on her rent.

Gerbino’s script is taut, driven by desperation and futile existence. He clearly understands the plight of millions of freelancers, no matter the field, and how they will do anything to stay afloat. Fused with raw humanity and grit, the story drives forward with a measured unraveling of Katie’s psychological state. Once disconnected from herself and work, Katie now becomes so emotionally tangled with the videos that her grip on reality deteriorates. She soon learns that she can’t get out of this collaboration without referring someone to the company. She’s stuck between a rock and a hard place – quickly turning her attention to the coffee shop barista, who says she’s looking to break through in the video editing world. What transpires next is harrowing and will shake you to the core.

Balazs makes great use of limited space, focusing on Pastor’s unwavering commitment to the work. Pastor delivers a range of emotions required of the role, from sorrow to rage and fear. She questions her character’s moral compass, bringing vast shades of conflicting ideas to Katie. Katie serves as a stand-in for freelancers who are forced into positions and gigs that go against their moral code. Lines are drawn in the sand, provoking the vewier to engage with the material, as well.

Cinematography (thanks to director of photography David Chan) shifts from crisp and clean to grainy, off-putting, and guerrilla-style filmmaking. Such a contrasting approach puts distance between Katie’s world and the one playing out on her computer screen. With each new video she edits, it becomes evident that what she’s witnessing are real lives being snuffed out entirely. Paster digs her teeth into the script and offers up a striking portrayal of a human pushed to the brink of despair.

An indie film by nature, Freelance possesses clear limitations. From a small cast to primary one or two locations, the film could very well suffer because of such meager resources, but in fact, it doesn’t. It excels despite them, courtesy of dedicated actors who fully lean into the heightened reality. It’s not even rough around the edges; the production could very well have been mounted in big studio terms.

Freelance operates on all cylinders to deliver a haunting and grim story. Nicole Pastor wonderfully captures the dire straits many workers find themselves in, offering an emotionally charged performance. As the story unfolds, Katie learns what it means to do anything to live in an increasingly dangerous world. The film will certainly invite the audience to question their moral boundaries – and more than anything, it’s dang good entertainment.