Indie Spotlight: ‘Anamnesis’ Is A Striking, Tense Psychological Thriller

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now.  Read previous installments here. 

Making a sci-fi thriller web series on an independently-funded budget is no easy task. To realize a project that excites genre fans requires a deft combination of filmmaking skills, storytelling ability, and diligent editing. It’s a tricky combination to execute, but Anamnesis pulls it off. The new web series, which centers on three characters and their respective lucid dreams, is a stunning achievement that will captivate sci-fi aficionados and capture more general viewers as well.

Anamnesis centers on three characters– Hannah, Sean, and Noah–all of whom have their own experiences with lucid dreams. As the series progresses on, the three leads see their dreams blend in with reality. By the fifth and final episode, they are beginning to assemble the pieces of a puzzle, though the ending will leave viewers hungry for more.

Anamnesis isn’t simply a fictional work. The creative team at Finite Films enlisted the help of lucid dreaming expert Daniel Love, who worked with them on the series. In addition, Finite released the series on April 12th, which is known worldwide as Lucid Dreaming Day.

These realistic touches are nice, but Anamnesis–which raised $15,000 on Kickstarter in 2013–pulls in viewers with incredible production values that go far beyond what we expect from small-budget web series. The cinematography is excellent, the acting is subtle, and the expertly-staged scenes keep viewers engrossed. Do yourself a favor and check out all five episodes at Finite Films’ YouTube channel.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Close Enough. A trio of buddies go camping in this road web series.
• $1 Reserve. A woman meets many interesting characters as she goes to retrieve her boyfriend’s possessions.
• Cupid. A schlubby cupid helps a lonely man find love.
• Wildcats. A high school cheerleading team cheers toward adulthood.

Got a series you’d like to see featured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include a full episode in your e-mail.