CYPHER Film Premiere & Review
The film Cypher is a self-proclaimed "pseudo-documentary" that chronicles female rapper Tierra Whack's rise to stardom and world tour. The film begins as a typical music documentary, introducing Tierra and how she started in the hip-hop world and music industry. Interestingly enough, a viral video of Tierra freestyling on Philadelphia's underground music collective We Run the Streets put her on the map. Since that moment, Tierra's talent has been recognized, and stars from the likes of Meek Mill to Beyonce have been reaching out to collaborate. Cypher does a great job of jumping right into Tierra's come-up and introducing her as one incredibly talented character and rap goddess.
One night after performing in Chicago, the film documents Tierra and her crew having a meal in a diner when suddenly they are approached by a woman. Tierra recognizes her as a fan and invites her to sit and spend some time. This woman has an awkward demeanor and starts preaching conspiracy theories involving Tierra and the music industry. Eventually, Tierra and her posse are able to brush the lady off and acknowledge the weird energy after the encounter. This is where the movie begins to take a turn, with strange happenings continuing to occur to Tierra and those around her. As a viewer who was under the impression that this was a documentary, I was immediately hooked and excited to see where the story would lead.
As the movie became increasingly thrilling and mysterious, I began questioning what was happening. Tierra was on an incredible world tour, stopping in countries like Japan and Dubai. However, it was evident that Tierra and her crew were being stalked, and the weird linkages to that first woman who approached them were uncanny. Even more so when that woman goes missing, and Tierra becomes entangled in her disappearance. The film was also structured with chapters that followed the content of the conspiracies first introduced. With each chapter, eerie background vocals and a chilling animation of the chapter's name would play. As Tierra's life became more and more intertwined with these conspiracies, I was really starting to question everything being presented to me in the film.
By the end of Cypher, the audience is finally let in on the mystery. During the final moments of the film, Tierra looks into the camera and plucks a single eyebrow hair, which is supposed to symbolize a ritual of power according to the conspiracy theories focused on in the film. As film viewers, we were the audience Tierra always intended for this so-called ritual, making it come full circle with the conspiracy theories, weird instances, and Tierra's career trajectory. The theater erupted into laughter and clapping like one crazy "aha" moment. I myself was awestruck and couldn't help but laugh as I processed the mind-blowing masterpiece I had just witnessed.
Looking back, many easter eggs were hidden in plain sight throughout the film, foreshadowing the conspiracies and giving hints to the fiction of it all. During the Q&A, director Chris Moukarbel (who has worked with notable artists like Lady Gaga) acknowledged that from the very beginning, he wanted to do something completely different. Since Tierra Whack is known for being outside the box, she welcomed all of Chris' crazy ideas, and they were able to piece together this wild ride of a film. Chris said movies like The Blair Witch Project inspired his filming style and tone for Cypher, which could be described as a fly on the wall and eerily creepy. The producers of Cypher also acknowledged that this project took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing everyone involved to truly immerse themselves in the filmmaking process and experiment with all sorts of crazy ideas.
Overall, this is a film I want to see again. There was so much to take in that a second watch is necessary to understand and appreciate all the attention to detail fully. There is no doubt that Tierra Whack is brilliantly talented, but this film is the perfect way to introduce her to an even bigger audience and market her as an unconventional artist. I believe that all musical artists should attempt their own version of Cypher and really try experimenting with what it means to be an artist.
Words & photos by Nicole Guillen