Red Lightning (2005)

Red Lightning is the story of a young Ivy League stockbroker who knew early on his fortunes would lie in the world of money. However, things didn't quite work out the way Marty McClossie imagined. His life is one dull frustration rather than the glamour of high finance he had dreamed of as a child. Stuck in a subservient position to his lesser-educated half-brother and beholden to his nagging girlfriend, Marty becomes convinced there's a plot brewing among his co-workers and that he is their target. Over a six-week period, his small Los Angeles financial firm is plagued by a series of murders and disappearances. Dr. Furisimo, a hypno-therapist puts Marty under in order to extract information on the murders. All Marty relates is his skewed version of reality. Is Marty paranoid? Are his co-workers the evil predators they seem to be? Or is Marty merely observing aspects of their fragmented personalities? Or, as Dr. Furisimo concludes, has another colleague twisted Marty's mind into believing his colleagues are insane predators. Surprise twists unfold as the truth behind the disappearances is slowly revealed piece by piece as Marty and Roy, the paper-obsessed head of personnel, set out to find the heart of darkness that has torn apart their ideal world. Red Lightning is a tour de force of ensemble acting, filled with unexpected humor in dark moments. Quirky characterizations abound even in the smallest of roles.