Academia is cutthroat. She just made it literal.
A math professor, rejected over and over again for publication, finds herself supplanted by her genius-level teaching assistant, and resorts to drastic measures to re-assert her authority.
Cinematography
Shadows deeper than academic job prospects
Acting
Smonzadeh's unraveling is genuinely uncomfortable
Editing
Brutally efficient—no fat, just venom
Director
Steve Kniss
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in actual black-and-white film stock, not digital desaturation—directors wanted that grain to feel 'earned desperation.'
The 'publish or perish' title nods to real 2023 academic mental health crises; Ruby's character was inspired by three separate true stories.
US
