Synopsis

A troubled young man drifts through a desert-town club, drinking heavily, using drugs, flirting aggressively and picking fights. His reckless behavior gradually shifts from messy bravado to something more desperate and emotionally raw. The nocturnal setting, harsh lighting and close attention to his physical deterioration make the performance feel claustrophobic, even as the story unfolds in open Californian landscapes. By the end, the source of his self-destructive spiral becomes clear, recasting the evening as an anguished response to heartbreak rather than simple hedonism.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Cavalier" was released as the first single from McMorrow's second album, *Post Tropical*, and the official video premiered on October 31, 2013.

• The video is the first installment in a trilogy of connected short films made for *Post Tropical*. The three stories were designed to stand alone before converging in the final film.

• All three films were shot around Maricopa, a community in the California desert. The production completed the trilogy in only three days, making the schedule a significant practical challenge.

• The lead performer was selected after an extensive search that involved casting roughly 70 men. His background growing up in a small Texas town helped him connect with the character, and he agreed to shave his head for the role.

• The production used method-acting techniques to achieve the central performance's unsettling physical and emotional intensity.

• McMorrow said the film was intended to add another dimension to the song, describing it as the filmmaker's reaction to the record rather than a literal visualization of the lyrics. He later said that seeing the finished video left a particularly strong impression on him.