Filmmaker Alexis Lloyd has made a distinctive impact on contemporary cinema with Group: The Schopenhauer Effect, currently in its theatrical run at The Quad Cinema in Greenwich Village, NYC. The film draws deeply from his upbringing immersed in psychiatry and psychoanalysis, blending that foundation with his passion for storytelling. Conceived as a prequel to his acclaimed, eponymous YouTube web series, the project offers a poignant exploration of the conflicts, epiphanies, and catharses that emerge within group therapy.
Released five years after the first season, the film reunites much of the original cast while introducing a pivotal new character portrayed by Thomas Sadoski, reuniting Lloyd with one of his frequent collaborators. Sadoski plays a documentarian named Alexis, caught between artistic ambition and financial survival, who must earn the group’s trust while seeking permission to use their sessions professionally—an inherently delicate and potentially disruptive undertaking.
Lloyd’s last feature, 30 Beats, is an ensemble exploration of sexual compulsivity and the longing for connection, featuring Sadoski alongside Lee Pace, Justin Kirk, Paz de la Huerta, and Jennifer Tilly. Earlier in his career, he directed several short films, including Indiscretion (2001) and Le 10ème Jour (2003).
In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Lloyd had a prolific career as Managing Director at Pathé, where he oversaw distribution on a range of influential films, including Basquiat, Swingers, Pi, The Virgin Suicides, Memento, The Blair Witch Project, Bound, Austin Powers, The Fifth Element, and The Spanish Prisoner.
In our conversation, we explore the origins of his interest in mental health storytelling, the response to his latest feature, the challenges of filming during COVID-19, and why casting a real psychoanalyst was essential to creating an authentic group dynamic.
Opening Credits: Ketsa - Goes Red I CC BY 4.0; Pierce Murphy - Chania I CC BY 4.0. Closing Credits: Pierce Murphy - Baby, Write I CC BY 4.0.