INTERVIEW: Alexander Parkinson’s "Third" Premieres at Atlanta Film Festival
- Olivia Smith
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
The writer-director crafts a darkly funny tale of love, secrets, and corporate power
A husband stuck in a rut. A wife hungry for more. A handsome stranger falling from the sky. What could possibly go wrong?
Atlanta-based feature Third had its world premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival on Friday. Created with an insanely talented local crew, the film is a shocking tale of twists and turns that holds far more than meets the eye. Ahead of the premiere, I sat down with writer/director/actor/producer Alexander Parkinson to discuss the bringing the script to life, the message at its core, and holding onto optimism for the future of Georgia film.
Third follows Thomas (Parkinson) and Sandra (Coley Campany), a married couple feeling trapped by the woes of everyday life (and each other). When hunky Ernesto (Norio Nishimura) quite literally crash lands into their lives, it seems they’ve finally found the answer to all their problems—that is, until their new friend turns out to hold a dark secret.
With the recent rise of the anti-rom-com, Third debuted right on time. Parkinson has been fascinated by the genre long before it even had an official label. “I have always loved content that is about the messiness of relationships,” he shared. “I don't know why; it's just something that really I find deeply, deeply attractive in storytelling. It’s so real, so it felt very natural for me to explore that.” The writer/director listed Apple TV’s Fingernails as a tonal inspiration for Third and a solid comparison for fans looking to get a feel of the film. Starring Riz Ahmed and Oscar winner Jessie Buckley, Fingernails flew under the radar as thought-provoking exploration of love, science, and what happens when the two clash. “I loved the juxtaposition of a sort of sci-fi-ish element with a little bit of absurdity, but really at its core, the relationship drama,” Parkinson shared. “That movie was tonally really what I was going for.”
These musings on relationships were not merely part of the script, but also embedded in the film’s visuals. While working with director of photography Brandon Peterson, Parkinson shared that their intention was to communicate shifting power dynamics using their anamorphic lenses. “We would try to do a lot of pairing up the three characters in certain situations depending on the power is,” he explained. “We were conscious of how we separated the characters onscreen to give that emotional and power dynamic.”
Without revealing too much (especially before Third’s encore screening on May 3rd at the Plaza), it’s crucial to note that the film dives far deeper than the premise-related commentary described here. The characters unravel to expose the dark side of corporations, consumerism, and power. “What I hope [audiences] walk away with is that [the relationship aspect] is surface level,” he said. “What’s underneath is a meaningful analysis of where corporations sit in our lives and how love can be everlasting and how it manifests itself in individuals differently.”
Before calling Georgia home, Parkinson grew up acting in Perth, Western Australia and then took a break from entertainment whilst living in the United Kingdom and New York. Moving to the South was what prompted him to return to the industry, inspired by the bustling film scene and creative community here: “My wife and I moved down and I just started to get that sense of an industry that was very nurturing and community-oriented, much like it was where I grew up, and I wanted to get back into it.”
Being around the industry for so long, Parkinson isn’t particularly worried about the current “downbeat” in the film world. He noted that, as with many parts of life, the realm of arts and entertainment goes through cycles and that he’s “optimistic” this period will be temporary. “Georgia is so well-equipped with infrastructure and talent that it just doesn’t make any sense not to be shooting here,” he shrugged. “What’s so interesting to me is that it’s been a good year and a half to two years where the industry in Georgia has definitely shown signs of waning, but the people are still here. [...] The work is here, the community is here, and I think everyone is confident that it’ll come back. I feel pretty good about that, and I think we will live to fight another day in Georgia sometime soon.”
Third will rescreen during the Atlanta Film Festival’s encore run on Sunday, May 3rd at the Plaza Theatre. Follow @thirdthemovie and @youknowparky for further updates on the film.