Mustard Man (Merlin Productions) 2024 Review
As a filmmaker who also grew up in Colorado, watching Mustard Man felt like a breath of nostalgic fresh air. Director Roman Lynch and his crew have captured the soul of Boulder and Colorado in a way that only locals can, utilizing familiar spots like the Night Owl Lounge and the iconic Rocky Mountains to ground this rock 'n' roll story. Mustard Man is a classic 'post-coming-of-age' tale that manages to balance the chaos of your 20s with a genuine, lived-in aesthetic. The original soundtrack is a standout achievement, providing a sonic heartbeat that makes the journey of KJ Jackson (Zach Mund) and his ragtag band feel incredibly authentic and fun. This is guerrilla filmmaking at its finest—proving that with small budget and enough passion, you can create something that rivals the big-budget features.
It’s time to rock out and jam!
The film begins with KJ trying to return home from college to his parent’s house only to find out they sold the house and moved to Florida. They apparently also cut off his cell phone service to so they wouldn’t even able to get in contact with about the move. They don’t seem to concerned about their son, which is both funny and tragic. KJ ends up having to live in his car and getting a job at a local pizzeria to make ends meet. KJ ends up going with the grind of life until he meets an old friend, Rodger (Albert DiCesare).
A major element of making the film work is the dynamic between Zach Mund and Albert DiCesare. Mund brings a quiet, grounded vulnerability to the role of KJ, perfectly capturing the disoriented feel of a young adult 'marooned' after college. Stuck between following his passions and studying a practical major. This acts as the perfect foil to DiCesare’s performance as Rodger, the eccentric and dramatic lead of the band. DiCesare’s high-energy portrayal of the party wild, 'magnetizing' vocalist provides the film’s narrative engine, and it’s clear that their real-life friendship translates into a chemistry that makes their on-screen bond feel entirely lived-in. Together, they anchor the film’s 'post-coming-of-age' spirit, making the struggles of their fictional band, the Mustard Men, feel both intimate and authentic.
Just hanging out underneath the moon. (A pretty cool shot btw)
Combine this with the original soundtrack kicks it up another level from a standard indie flick to a genuine rock 'n' roll experience. It’s rare to see a low-budget feature boast a 100% original score, and the fact that it was composed and performed by the cast—including Zach Mund and Albert DiCesare—adds a layer of authenticity that you just can't fake. Tracks like the catchy high-energy "Mustard Man" and the more reflective "It Never Ends" (written by Mund and Kat Houston) aren't just background noise; they drive the narrative and help to define the characters' emotional arcs. The music captures that specific, restless energy of a Colorado summer, making the "Mustard Men" feel like a band you’d actually stumble upon at a local Boulder venue.
Director Roman Lynch and his team make clever use of montage sequences and camera work to propel the story, such as the recurring use of a calendar with days marked out to visually underscore KJ’s feeling of being "marooned" in time. One of the most memorable and fun shots is the trunk sequence, where the camera is positioned inside the car to watch Rodger (Albert DiCesare) sell drugs, a creative technique that adds a gritty yet playful voyeuristic energy to the scene. The movie also manages to pull off a pretty convincing party scene and a backyardconcert scene with dozens of extras. Not a easy feat for indie films to pull off.
Not everyone is on the same page and that’s okay.
From a narrative perspective, the film leans heavily into its "post-grad malaise" atmosphere, though at times the plot feels a bit aimless, lacking stakes until the tension with a towed car finally boils over in the final act. While the "slice-of-life" approach captures the wandering nature of your early 20s, the script could have benefited from more external pressure to justify KJ’s eventual breaking point. Adding a few scenes involving KJ’s parents—perhaps highlighting the quiet disappointment or the weight of their expectations—would have sharpened this emotional conflict. Similarly, perhaps seeing more of the drudgery and drama at his job would have made his climactic breakdown feel less like a sudden outburst and more like the inevitable explosion of a pressure cooker. Without those extra layers of friction, the journey to the climax feels a little too smooth, even if the eventual payoff is satisfying.
Ultimately, Mustard Man (2024) stands as a testament to the thriving indie film spirit in Boulder. Despite some narrative pacing issues in the early acts, it is a triumph of local, hand-created cinema that proves you don't need a big budget to capture a universal feeling. For those of us who grew up in these same Colorado towns, seeing our familiar mountains and dives treated with such reverence is a reminder of the talent brewing in our own backyard. It’s a raw, musically-driven debut that signals Roman Lynch, Zach Mund and his crew as voices to watch in the regional scene. If you can appreciate the beauty in the aimless wander of your 20s, this film will resonate deeply. It’s a loud, messy, and heartfelt love letter to music and friendship that proves there must be some magic in that Colorado air.
