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THREE

THE TRAILER

A REVIEW OF “THREE”

From FILMNET

Billy Higgins’ Three is a quietly riveting survival thriller that blends the creeping dread of a Cold War-era Hitchcock suspense with the soul of a coming-of-age road movie. Set in the wake of a nuclear attack that devastates San Francisco, Three strips away the spectacle typical of modern apocalyptic fare in favor of something far more intimate and unsettling: a human journey through fear, distrust, and the fragile threads of newfound companionship. It’s a haunting film not because of what we see, but because of what we feel—loneliness, paranoia, and the deeply rooted desire to be safe and connected in a broken world.

The film’s central trio—Spencer [Alia Ripley], Michelle [Deja Lopez], and Saskia [Allison von Hausen]—serve as the emotional and narrative backbone. Though strangers at first, their dynamic evolves into one of necessity and tenderness, with each character subtly revealing their backstory through restrained dialogue and reaction rather than exposition. Spencer’s quest to reach her partner in Lodi gives the film its structure, but it’s the emotional unraveling and reassembly of these three women that gives Three its soul. Higgins carefully avoids genre clichés, opting instead for a simmering realism. The looter who stalks them [Jake Shupp] is a particularly brilliant narrative device—perhaps real, perhaps not—evoking both external threat and internal psychological breakdown in the shadow of trauma.

Visually, Three is sparse but evocative. The stillness of California’s Central Valley becomes a character in itself—vast, ominous, and eerily indifferent to the human drama unfolding across its fields and roads. Higgins’ direction allows for long, contemplative shots that feel both isolating and meditative, a smart choice that heightens tension while underscoring the characters’ emotional isolation. The absence of zombies, aliens, or supernatural threats doesn’t make Three any less gripping. On the contrary, its realism is what makes it terrifying. This is not about surviving the end of the world—it’s about surviving ourselves. Three is a timely, restrained, and powerful reminder that human connection is both our greatest vulnerability and our only hope.

THE STORY

It is the dawn of the Third World War and three women find themselves in a dangerous world as they trek across the Central Valley of California in the wake of a nuclear blast that has destroyed San Francisco.

MAIN CAST - THE “THREE”

ALIA RIPLEY as SPENCER

DEJA LOPEZ as MICHELLE

ALLISON von HAUSEN as SASKIA

ALSO STARRING

JAKE SHUPP as VANCE

THE VISION

It’s CHARLIE’S ANGELS meets THE ROAD… sort of…

A white hipster, a black bad-ass, and a first-generation Asian immigrant meet on the eve of an impending apocalypse. Will these three women destroy each other before the crumbling world around them has the chance? Or will they find a way to work together in order to survive?

THREE is a feature length suspense thriller that tells the often-frightening, sometimes-touching, and occasionally-humorous story of survival and overcoming one’s greatest fears and finding friends in the most unlikely of places.

-by Jamie “Sage” Cotton

Writer

THE ACTORS

THE CREW

Directed by BILLY HIGGINS

Screenplay by JAMIE “SAGE” COTTON & BILLY HIGGINS

Story by BLAKE ARMSTRONG, BILLY HIGGINS, ROBERT SCHEER

Produced by DREW CERCLEY, DEJA LOPEZ, BILLY HIGGINS, MANDY MILLER, ALIA RIPLEY, TJ THICKETT, ALLISON VON HAUSEN

Executive Producers: JED ALAN KLEMOW, ARRON NELSON, JR.

Executive Producer: MITCH EASON

Co-Producer: JAKE SHUPP

Associate Producers: ARACELI CASTANEDA-RAMIREZ, JAMIE “SAGE” COTTON, AMIR CYNDIE, JOSHUA MCCLINTON, RAVEN ROMAN

Director of Photography: TJ THICKETT

Aerial Photographer & Visual Effects Consultant: SETH VLACH

Production Designer: ALLIE BASKER

Edited by BILLY HIGGINS

Original Music Score by VICTOR VASQUEZ

Digital Color Grading by CHARLES SANTOS

Casting by CHRIS DE PRETIS

Also Starring ANTHONY CHRISTIANSEN

Featuring

NICK ASBILL, ALLISON BARKER, REISS NATHAN LARKIN, LEN LOFRISCO, MARNIE MCLAIN

PHIL BEDFORD, ARACELI CASTANEDA-RAMIREZ, LAWRENCE CHUM, DAN DESCALZO, LISA HEWES, BARBARA LOFRISCO, TONYA PERDUE, MADISON PERDUE

A RARE BREEDS Production
In Association With SUNOL GROUP MEDIA
A BILLY HIGGINS Film
Presented by OASIS PRODUCTIONS

(THIS STATEMENT WAS WRITTEN IN EARLY 2023…)

Our nation. Our world. It feels more divided than ever. Violence is rampant. And I fear I am part of the problem.

It truly breaks my heart. I feel like friends that I have treasured for most of my life have disappeared behind a vein of political and sociological barriers that I cannot seem to break down. From my perspective, people are choosing ideology and political labels to isolate themselves instead of prioritizing what I think is the most important - true friendship - true connection - the understanding that we are all human. We all want the same thing. To be loved, to be valued, to be understood. It applies no matter how you label yourself politically, religiously, or racially.

What will it take to truly unify us as a people? Hopefully it won’t take a nuclear war, but this film presents the possibility that such a devastating scenario might give us the right kick in the pants to start taking the first baby steps toward valuing the greater good. In a post-COVID world such as ours, it is clear that we haven’t gotten that kick in the pants... yet.

I first came up with the idea for this project FIFTEEN years ago - before THE WALKING DEAD television series or THE LAST OF US video game brought apocalyptic fiction into the mainstream. THREE sets itself apart because it has no zombies. No clickers. No aliens. This is something that could REALLY happen. I don’t mean to scare you, but the threat of nuclear terrorism is real and the even more terrifying threat of full-scale nuclear war is again on the forefront of people’s minds, given the current conflicts in Ukraine and NATO’s current tensions with Russia, China, and other nations.

There has NEVER been a better time to have a film like THREE come to fruition.

In the vein of a classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller mixed with the fun of a John Hughes or Rob Reiner 80’s comedy, we invite you to take this journey with us. My hope is you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and, yes, be frightened - but only enough to inspire you to embrace a brighter future - a future symbolized through our main three characters. I believe it is possible to achieve that future, but it is going to take a while.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to take a look at our work.

And, just in case it wasn’t clear, this film is telling a FICTIONAL story. Hopefully people won’t read into this project otherwise. :)

In the meantime, hop on instagram @threebybilly and keep track of our progress (and see some fun reels too).

-by Billy Higgins

Director / Writer / Editor

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

THE PRODUCTION

The film is currenly playing in the film festival circuit. The best way to stay updated on how/where/when you can see the film is to follow the instagram account and/or check the top of this page periodically.