Directed by Tommy Stovall from a script by John Spare, Condition of Return is a slow burn character study tells the story of a churchgoing schoolteacher’s descent into darkness, and the lengths that she will go to reclaim her life.
In Condition of Return, AnnaLynne McCord plays Eve Sullivan who is arrested for committing a heinous crime. Shackled in a police station breakroom, she is questioned by psychoanalyst Dr. Donald Thomas (Dean Cain) who is tasked with determining her fitness to stand trial. In a contentious interview, Dr. Thomas persuades Eve to recount her troubling past as she slowly turns the tables, coaxing him into revealing secrets of his own and showing him they may be more alike than he thinks.
Though presented initially as a standard crime drama, Condition of Return hides a devilishly dark centre. What begins as something straightforward effortlessly switches to something more. The surprise is sure to hook viewers in, but so too will the performance of McCord. Best known for having played Naomi Clark in teen show 90210, McCord has since strived for a career full of quirky choices, and has thus far succeeded. Roles in Excision and 68 Kill demonstrated that McCord was not afraid to explore darker material and both have prepared her perfectly for the role of Eve. A young woman pushed to the edge, McCord manages to garner sympathy in spite of Eve’s reprehensible behaviour. It is not an easy task, but McCord makes it look effortless and her performance alone is worth the price of admission.
Condition of Return is a project that has been approved for an Interim Agreement with SAG-AFTRA and so in the lead-up to release THN were able to speak with McCord about the project. Our discussion delved into what it was that drew McCord to playing Eve, accessing the darker side of a character and why vanity is overrated.
Condition of Return will open for weeklong runs in markets nationwide on September 22, including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Dallas and Oklahoma City. The film will be available to rent or own on Vudu and Cable services the same day. On October 23, Condition of Return will bow on iTunes, Prime Video and other TVOD Digital Platforms.
