STONER NOIR

Max's writing and directing live at the intersection of the comic and the uncanny — building worlds where history, mythology, and the unknown collide with sharp social satire and a deeply felt sense of conspiracy.

Blending dark comedy, neo-noir, sci-fi/fantasy, and psychedelia, Max has developed an absurd, paranoid, and visually unique style. He tells deeply personal stories about alienation, depression, and addiction through the lens of genre filmmaking. He places complex characters drawn from his early life growing up in Manhattan, and his years as an aspiring actor in Los Angeles, within meticulously constructed alternate realities informed by his a vast knowledge of history and esoterica. The result is what he calls Stoner Noir, where disaffected Z-ellianals struggle to find meaning in a world of mass media, corporate conspiracies, cults, spies, and radical political movements. His goal: to bridge the gap between popular film genres, Gen Z internet culture, conspiracies, and classical storytelling to address the pressing issues of our time.

Max graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Interdisciplinary Program for Humane Studies at Kenyon College, where he specialized in classical literature, art, history, mythology, and folklore — interests that have led him to a deep knowledge of UFOs, the paranormal, and related esoteric topics. His writing is filtered through a post-modernist lens, inspired particularly by the work of author Thomas Pynchon.

Cinematic inspirations include: Paul Thomas Anderson, The Cohen Brothers, Spike Lee, and Monty Python.

Max has directed short films and has several feature and TV screenplays in active development — including ConspiracyLand, a conspiratorial satire series, and Snake Island, a supernatural neo-noir thriller.