Paranoia (film)



"It's just been a really hectic night..."

- Mark Bishop

(For other uses of the term "Paranoia", click here)

Mark Bishop is not having a good night, and his wife leaving him isn't even the half of it. A serial killer is on the prowl, each murder different from the last, and Mark has just killed an intruder who attacked him in his home. Unsure if the man is the killer or not, Mark just wants to keep the attention off of himself. Dumping the body and avoiding the authorities, after a while he isn't sure what he's running from. Maybe it's just his own paranoia getting to him.

Paranoia is a 2011 film directed by Ryan Mitchelle, written and starring Brad Jones of The Cinema Snob fame. A psychological thriller with horror and mystery elements, the indie movie has all the makings of a cult hit behind it. At least, it certainly has a substantial fanbase to get it kicked off. Jones has said that he drew inspiration for the screen play from David Lynch, Wes Anderson and Alfred Hitchcock.

An alternate cut of the film, in black and white and closer to Jones's original script, can be viewed for free here.

Given the films nature as a psychological thriller, MANY of the tropes below are chock full of spoilers. At this time, they are marked. Proceed with caution.


 * Always Save the Girl: Played with.
 * Anti-Hero: Mark is closest to a Type 1,
 * Arc Words: Mark's mantra actually changes very slightly with every iteration, which display his growing anxiety.
 * Black Comedy: "You know, you're lucky. You're up there, I'm down here... At least, I assume you're up there."
 * Broken Record: It's just been a really bad night.
 * Deliberately Monochrome: Mark's flashbacks. Also, the entire Writer's Cut; the film was originally supposed to be in black and white.
 * Despair Event Horizon:
 * Everybody Smokes: But nobody ever seems to have any cigarettes.
 * Foreshadowing: Quite a bit, some literal, some symbolic.
 * Improbable Aiming Skills: Oh. Yeah. A failed writer in his late 20s can TOTALLY shoot that well.
 * Mind Rape: Shown in the trailer, though the details of said mind rape are somewhat longer.
 * Once More, with Clarity:
 * Only a Flesh Wound: Despite passing out twice, Carl isn't really bleeding all that badly.
 * Serial Killer: At the beginning of the movie, Mark turns on the TV to hear a series of news broadcasts about one in the local area, and it's a topic of discussion with several people he meets.
 * Shout-Out: The movie's plot is very much like
 * Tomato in the Mirror:
 * You Can't Go Home Again: Tragically so.
 * Only a Flesh Wound: Despite passing out twice, Carl isn't really bleeding all that badly.
 * Serial Killer: At the beginning of the movie, Mark turns on the TV to hear a series of news broadcasts about one in the local area, and it's a topic of discussion with several people he meets.
 * Shout-Out: The movie's plot is very much like
 * Tomato in the Mirror:
 * You Can't Go Home Again: Tragically so.
 * You Can't Go Home Again: Tragically so.