Occam's Beard
The Simplest Answer is Rarely Correct
Occam’s Beard is an award-winning psychological thriller centered on a tense therapy session between a former child actor and his longtime psychiatrist. What begins as a routine appointment gradually unravels into a confrontation over memory, identity, and the stories people create to survive emotional trauma. Through fragmented flashbacks and shifting perspectives, the film explores the instability of memory and the danger of overly simple explanations in both psychology and human relationships. As buried truths emerge, the boundaries between perception and reality begin to blur for both men. The screenplay received Best Short Screenplay honors at the Big Apple Film Festival, was named a Top 10 finalist for the Filmmatic InRoads Fellowship, and in June 2026, was awarded Best Short Screenplay at the Cannes Film Awards.
Directed by David Ezell · Written by David Ezell
Cast
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Luke Kelly-Sass Joey Ellison -
William Lerberg JP Ellison -
John DeFilippo Virgil Caruso RN
Make it a double feature
2h 24m together
Occam's Beard
The Silence of the Lambs
A close match in mood and era.
