Cool Extremities
Directed by Max SwansonCool Extremities follows Ellie Ransom, a broke 20-something living in the San Fernando Valley, who turns to picking up dead bodies in order to make ends meet. We watch as Ellie and her older, more desensitized coworker transport corpses to local morgues with the casualty of any other gig economy worker. As the day unfolds, we realize that Ellie is a part of something far more sinister — the buying and selling of human organs and limbs on the black market.
Supported by a 2026 Davey Film Grant
About Max Swanson
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Max is a self-taught writer, director and editor. At 25, he directed a Kickstarter backed series, shooting 180 pages in 22 days on a $25k budget. Since then, he has self-financed and edited 10 short films that have screened across the country. His films have screened at festivals nationwide, several of which have premiered online on NoBudge. A classically trained actor who lost out on parts in The Amazing Spider-Man, Jennifer’s Body, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, as well as several unaired pilots. Max was most recently seen in an NFL commercial with Deion Sanders and Jake from State Farm that helped pay for a nice vacation. He is currently developing his first feature film, Auxiliary Man, starring Lewis Pullman, Gideon Adlon, and Ron Perlman. In his free time, he can be found frantically rearranging his DVD collection and waiting tables to maintain his health insurance.
︎ @forthehungryboy
︎ maxswansonfilms.com