Joe Badon is back with a feature film that builds upon his short, The Blood of the Dinosaurs. Titled, The Wheel of Heaven, we are set back in the wacky and surreal world that’s introduced in Badon’s short.

We see some familiar faces, with The Blood of the Dinosaurs‘ Kali Russell and Vincent Stalba making a return. Russell reprises her role as Purity, and in addition plays as Marge the Mechanic, Margaret Corn, and Captain Corn. Rusell’s performances are probably part of the highlights of the film, and I hope to see her in more projects as she is a very talented actress! Marge sets the stage for the film’s story, which takes place through a mystical book that leads to a multi-layered world of choices.

Set up in chapters, The Wheel of Heaven is told in an experimental, almost collage-like manner. Set inside the world of a fake public access channel, these chapters are interjected with informercial-like shorts, such as a “skateboard lawyer” and videos reminiscent of early to mid 2000s YouTube videos. In between, we get segments of the film’s main story, which is also interjected with behind-the-scenes shots of the film itself. We get glimpses of the crew, shots of the film’s table readings, as well as conversations with Kali Russell and Joe Badon.

While I understand the choices for the film’s setup, I feel like the pacing and the way it was would pull me away from the story. Rather than feel like a feature, it really did just feel like a series of shorts. However, I understand its intentionality, since its set up to be like you’re watching TV, which is explained by Badon at the film’s start. This setup also lends itself to the film’s themes of choice and journey.

The Wheel of Heaven won’t be for everyone, but if you’re into experimental and eccentric films, definitely check this out. It’s so many things at once, which I personally enjoyed. The Wheel of Heaven is currently on its festival run; however, you can check out the trailer below:

We give The Wheel of Heaven a 3.5/5.