Read Reviews of all the films from the October Action/Crime Film Festival

Reviews by Kierston Drier

CLICK the links and read the reviews.

Movie Review: BARROW (2016)
This film is wonderfully balanced cinematographically, beautifully rendering scenes of dazzling brilliance without having the darker scenes feel out of place. The story is clean, precise and engaging, with thoughtful attention to detail. The character development is logical, well designed and tempered with flawed heroes, tragic backstories and strong performances.

Movie Review: TENGU: BIRDMAN OF THE MOUNTAINS (2016)

Tengu: Birdman of the Mountains,  is a film that will delight you with its symbology, its imagery and it’s excellent fight sequences, but it goes far beyond that. This film represents of genre-hybrid that should be welcomed into cinema with open arms. It is highly commendable thing to be able to successfully blend genres together, and this film is able to do that. With effortless ease a viewer can watch this film and find something in it to enjoy even if they are not conventionally a viewer of action.

Movie Review: THE TRAP (2016)

Subtle and steamy, with mounting tension in every scene, The Trap is a suspense film, turned mystery film, turned action film. Cleverly designed with red-herrings and hidden details, there must be a special nod of appreciation to the film’s editor.

Movie Review: MOTEL MOTEL (2016)

This film makes nods to several well established cult classics, such as Pulp Fiction to name one of many. The unreliable narrator, the highly subjective non-lateral plot and the avant-garde supernatural air, make the film a cultural cinematic work of art. Think Wes Anderson, if Wes Anderson was dark and perturbed and less whimsical.

Movie Review: THE APOLOGY (2016)

Awkward and uncomfortable, while still engaging and endearing, this film should be commended for its excellent casting. Each character is knowable almost immediately. The performances are strong and incite empathy, even pity, as well as humor for our lead.

Movie Review: WE’LL SEE IF WE DROWN (2016)

Everyone loves an anti-hero, whether you are watching a scripted show, reality TV or even the news, people naturally look for the bad guys. We’ll See If We Drown, a French smash-hit directed by Hugo Becker, is a story about three such delinquents. Mickey, Voltaire and K.O are three twenty-something pseudo criminals up to no good, with plans to rob the Butcher shop that Mickey works at and skip town to go fishing.

Movie Review: BLACKWELL SUMMERS MYSTERY (2016)

Comic, bright and full of flare, this groovy film will leave you craving more. Well done to these maidens of mystery.