DO THE RIGHT THING

THE PARAGON

2023 / 83 min / color

A battle of powerful supernatural forces, human mind control and a cosmic crystal of great power. Throw in a lot of action and even more fun? Michael Duignan’s debut feature provides all of the above. Duignan’s resumé includes directing more than a dozen episodes of the iconic Power Rangers. Made on a budget of $25,000, The Paragon is a tribute to fantasy cinema of the 1980s, which prioritized creating atmosphere over sophisticated special effects. In Duignan’s film, the arena in which supernatural powers clash is Auckland, New Zealand, and their “relays” are the two main characters. Dutch is a former tennis coach who has been hungry for revenge against the perpetrator of his misfortune ever since he was involved in a serious car accident. Lyra, in turn, is a mysterious clairvoyant, which allows her to make Dutch realize how much power is hidden in the recesses of his mind. But that’s not all: Lyra’s brother Haxan also gets involved in the action, and his ambitions go much further — he wants to take over the world with the help of a magic crystal. All this makes The Paragon an original low-budget fantasy comedy born from genuine passion.