'Meta Take One' A Raw Indie Noir Debut from Filmmakers John Dierre and Ryan Dutter

 

“A raw, unsettling indie noir, ‘Meta Take One’ marks a bold breakout for Atlanta filmmakers John Dierre and Ryan Dutter.” 

 Lapacazo Sandoval, [AmN] Curtain Raiser

 Review: 

'Meta Take One'

A Raw Indie Noir Debut from  Filmmakers John Dierre and Ryan Dutter

There is something exciting—genuinely exciting—about watching new filmmakers enter the proverbial chat and not ask for permission. “Meta Take One,” from Atlanta directors John Dierre and Ryan Dutter, does exactly that, bringing their own brand of noir—gritty, raw, and a little unhinged in the best way.

The film lives mostly in a noir, black-and-white palette—stark, textured, and grounding—but shifts into grainy, circa-1970s color when we see through the camera lens, exactly as the director and DP see it. It is a sharp, intentional choice that pulls us inside the act of filmmaking itself. From there, “Meta Take One” moves quickly, clocking in at 94 minutes, and wastes no time pulling us into obsession. We follow a hyper-focused (read: obsessive) young director and his fully committed crew over the course of one long, chaotic night as they try to finish a film—cutting corners, making choices, and pushing past lines that probably should not be crossed.

And I get it. I do.

What is especially effective is how the film plays with that duality—what is real versus what is being captured. It is playful, but also unsettling, and it keeps reminding us how thin that line really is.

Now, I am trying very hard not to spoil anything—but there is a moment, and you will know it when it happens, where the reaction is simply: oh no… they really did that. And that right there is where Dierre and Dutter become so compelling as filmmakers. They go there. No hesitation.

The film also gets the reality of guerrilla filmmaking right. The lack of money, the limited access, the no-clear-path-into-the-industry energy—it is all here, and it feels lived in because it is. But instead of feeling like a limitation, that lack becomes a kind of creative fuel. You see the invention. You feel the hustle. You understand the drive—even as things begin to spiral.

And they do spiral.

There is a kind of “Thelma and Louise” warning baked into all of this—you feel where this could go—but the central character is moving so fast, so deep in ego and need, that morality barely gets a seat at the table.

As Dierre notes in the press materials: when does sacrifice become exploitation? When does a labor of love start taking too much from the people helping it exist? The film sits in those questions and resists easy answers.

There are moments where the dialogue feels a bit thin—but interestingly, it also feels real. This is how people talk, especially in these spaces and under this kind of pressure. It is that tricky balance between capturing a community's authenticity and delivering the precision a screenplay often demands. Dierre and Dutter are still finding that rhythm—but that is part of the excitement. These are young filmmakers, and there is no question they will get there.

The cast holds all of this together, with Ernest Emmanuel Peeples bringing a presence that adds another layer to the film’s ideas about visibility, vulnerability, and who gets seen—and how.

There is so much to appreciate in “Meta Take One” that the small quibbles about pacing or dialogue ultimately feel secondary. This is not a film striving for polish—it is a film alive with intent. The rough edges are part of the language.

This is raw. That is a good thing.

It is deeply unsettling. That is an even better thing.

It is noir with a twist—underground cinema with real swagger.

And more than anything, I am delighted—truly delighted—that John Dierre and Ryan Dutter are here, stepping into the cinematic space and claiming it as their own. These are bold, emerging filmmakers, and their arrival matters.

“Meta Take One” will be available to rent on digital platforms beginning August 4, 2026.

Website: www.metatake1.com

Instagram: @metatakeonefilm