Charades (1998)

Deep within the grid of a seemingly placid suburban neighborhood, the echo of a street brawl reverberates. Barry, a down-and-out yet resilient individual, finds himself entangled in the intricate web of Technoworks - a high-tech, yuppie company. He is the cog in the mundane wheel of the company's shipping department, a mere blip in the vast corporate expanse. Invited to a barbecue by his enigmatic boss Quinn, Barry finds himself in the midst of a gathering that quickly spirals into chaotic uncertainty. The neighborly facade crumbles as the party descends into a bizarre and eerie spectacle, with Barry orchestrating a twisted rendition of charades atop a picnic table. The neighboring Targenville, a man consumed by hostility, hurls obscenities over the fence, shattering the illusion of suburban serenity. As the sun dips, the widow Jude arrives, cloaked in the mystery of her husband's death, the former owner of Technoworks. A kidnapping plot gone awry, a cryptic puzzle begging to be solved, and the undercurrent of past crimes start to ripple through the crowd. The barbecue transforms into a crucible, secrets simmering under the surface, threatening to boil over. Barry, navigating this uncanny maze, confronts a tow-truck driver, indulges in forbidden liaisons, and stirs the hornet's nest with the irate neighbor. The day teeters precariously on the edge of revelation and retribution. As the title, 'Charades,' suggests, the truth is masked, obscured in layers of deception and duplicity. By the time the last ember of the barbecue dies, we are left to sift through the ashes, to piece together the enigma. The question isn't just who is the felon, but a more unsettling realization - are they all, in one way or another, felons? In this suburban labyrinth, every corner turned uncovers a new facet of deceit, leaving us to ponder the true nature of guilt and innocence.

Charades is a drama movie featuring James Russo and directed by Stephen Eckelberry.

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