Plot Summary: A mild mannered family man named Joe (Clay Crawford) has, like everyone, been through some very uncertain times due to the COVID pandemic. In an effort to provide for his family, he is hell bent on hunting, something that both his wife Tess (Jordana Brewster) and neighbor Doug (Carl Kennedy) strongly warn against. However, what is supposed to be a transformative experience for Joe quickly spirals into a nightmare in this low-key drama.
The Integrity of Joseph Chambers was for me a film that caught my attention as Robert Machoian has been a really interesting voice in slow-burning and impactful indie outings. His last feature film, The Killing of Two Lovers, made quite the splash with critics, currently holding a 93% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Chambers explores similar themes as Two Lovers, which tries to examine what a man’s place is within the family unit and how that has been changing over the years.
The big theme that is at play here is that of performance and “playing the part” of the ideal male. It’s made crystal clear from the start that Chambers isn’t a hunter. This is further painfully evident by Joe’s lack of a hunting license; hell, he doesn’t even have his own gun (which one could see as symbolic for male virility). To stress this point further, his wife telegraphs this by referring to him growing a “hunter’s mustache.“ Even she knows that this is a bullshit performance that he feels like he needs to demonstrate, but none of this stops Joe in his quest. He wears the gear and looks the part, which we the audience know is more about looking the part than actually serving a practical purpose.
Once in the woods, it becomes even more apparent that Chambers isn’t really interested in hunting, as he literally plays around like a child might. This is where the tension really builds because we know something bad is going to happen, and we are left to wait for the shoe to drop. This idea of wanting to play provider in this stereotypical, primal way is absurd, as Chambers, by way of his job, does in fact provides for his family. It also speaks to this weird idealized macho-image ingrained by the media.
Machoian takes delight in subverting this image Chambers has of himself, as when stuff really goes sideways the man is quite literally in a fetal position at one point. I think this is a really fascinating idea and one that works really well in this underplayed drama. I also like how this never really goes full cheesy-thriller mode, even though it very easily could have. What we get is a kind of perverse mediation on manhood as well as a sly commentary on the pandemic, making some question if they could survive and sustain themselves. This latter point is brought up in a single line of dialogue that may breeze by you. Indeed, there very much is a post-COVID anxiety that looms large over The Integrity of Joseph Chambers and what a provider’s place is in a world that feels chaotic and scary as hell. I think this is where the true impact and even horror of the movie lie.
Clay Crawford once again proves that he and the director mesh really well together. Crawford is given the task of carrying not only the bulk of the story but the emotional weight as well. He does so with a lot of depth and effortless skill. Jordana Brewster is fantastic, and, as always, it’s a treat to see her in anything. Michael Raymond-James and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are also great in small but memorable performances.
Machoian does a fine job at establishing these themes of manhood and the societal pressure to perform certain roles and duties. Sadly though, these topics are never taken far enough to be truly effective. This really is the biggest let down, as the movie feels like it has a lot to say about these issues but always plays it too safe. In the effort to downplay things, I think it handles the subject with kid-gloves. Overall, I think Robert Machoian provides an engaging but ultimately empty parable.
The Integrity of Joseph Chambers was viewed in the US Narrative Competition section of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
Directors: Robert Machoian
Runtime: 96m
Cast: Clayne Crawford, Jordana Brewster, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.