Despite being overwhelmed by superhero adaptations, sci-fi blockbusters, and geek-chic comedies, it seems that true nerd-culture has been overlooked in popular media. The subversive, independent-comedy, Zero Charisma is looking to change all that.

Zero Charisma peers into the world of tabletop fantasy role-playing through the lens of Scott Weidemeyer, an overenthusiastic Game Master whose fantasy world is compromised when he brings in a new player: a faux-nerd hipster named Miles. The charming newbie begins to add an element that Scott’s gaming group had seemed to be missing: real-world fun. Miles doesn’t take the games as seriously as Scott, playing the game ironically and mostly for juvenile laughs. If Scott is the personification of the entire die-hard, old school Dungeons & Dragons nerd culture, then Miles seems to represent the contemporary exploitation of nerds popularized by shows like The Big Bang Theory.

While the tone of the newly released trailer (see below) plays up the quirks of the role-players lives, an early review by Jordan Hoffman at film.com suggests that the comedic elements are supplemented by strong character development “that elevate Zero Charisma from being just another jab at nerd culture.” An early trailer, released in the wake of the film’s SXSW premiere, capture’s Zero Charisma‘s more character-driven tone.

Zero Charisma has already won the SXSW Audience Award and has been slated to screen opening night at the New York Comic Con. The film has found distribution through Tribeca Films and Nerdist Industries and will be available on demand and on iTunes on October 8th followed by a limited theatrical release on October 11th.

Latest Tribeca Films Trailer

Original SXSW Trailer