SXSW 2026 Review: A Safe Distance Balances Romance, Danger, and Fugitive Thrills in the Woods

 Bethany Brown encounters a fugitive couple in Gloria Mercer’s SXSW thriller A Safe Distance.

Crime thrillers have long been fascinated with couples who drift outside the boundaries of normal life. From Natural Born Killers to Thelma & Louise, the “Bonnie and Clyde” effect has fueled stories where attraction, rebellion, and desperation collide in unpredictable ways. Director Gloria Mercer taps into that same tension with A Safe Distance, a slow-burning thriller that premiered at SXSW 2026.

At its core, the film explores the dangers of curiosity and temptation — particularly when someone from a structured life becomes captivated by those who seem freer, wilder, and untethered from consequence.

The story centers on Alex (Bethany Brown), who finds herself stranded during what was supposed to be a simple camping trip with her fiancé Joey (Chris McNally). While navigating the wilderness alone, Alex encounters Kiana (Tandia Mercedes) and Matt (Cody Kearsley), a nomadic couple living out of a van.

At first glance, the pair represent everything Alex’s life is not: spontaneous, unconventional, and completely unrestrained by the routines she’s used to. But the truth behind their lifestyle is far darker. Kiana and Matt are fugitives, running from the law and clinging to a fragile partnership that feels increasingly volatile.

As Alex becomes more entangled with the duo, the film leans into the psychological tension between attraction and survival. There’s an undeniable pull toward their reckless freedom, even as the danger surrounding them becomes more obvious.

Where A Safe Distance truly works is in the interactions between its three central characters. The performances from Brown, Mercedes, and Kearsley are consistently engaging, creating an uneasy dynamic where no one seems fully honest with themselves or each other. Matt appears cautious, almost paranoid about keeping their situation under control, while Kiana seems eager to push their already precarious lifestyle even further.

Alex, meanwhile, is caught in the middle — drawn to the possibility of escape from her own life while slowly realizing the cost of stepping into someone else’s chaos.

Mercer and screenwriter Aiden West construct several sharp, character-driven moments that highlight this tension. The film thrives in its quieter exchanges, allowing the characters’ shifting loyalties and emotions to build the suspense organically.

There are flashes where the film feels like it could erupt into a full-fledged crime thriller. But A Safe Distance often resists that escalation, favoring character exploration over action-driven suspense. While that approach creates some compelling moments — including a surprisingly intimate and well-executed scene between the trio — it also leaves the film feeling slightly restrained.

By the time the story reaches its conclusion, there’s a sense that something more could have emerged from the premise. The final act introduces some unexpected developments, but the film never fully commits to the intensity its setup suggests.

Instead, A Safe Distance plays more like the opening chapter of a larger story. The characters and their complicated dynamics feel rich enough that one could easily imagine the narrative expanding into a longer-form series or a deeper exploration of their lives.

Still, Mercer delivers a thoughtful and watchable thriller anchored by strong performances and an intriguing premise. Even when the tension doesn’t escalate as far as it could, the film remains engaging thanks to the chemistry between its leads and the moral ambiguity at the heart of the story.

For audiences at SXSW looking for a character-driven thriller that blends romance, danger, and psychological tension, A Safe Distance offers an intriguing ride — even if it occasionally feels like it’s just getting started.

Score: 3/5