When you have a writer, producer and director with only a handful of short-films experience, trying to make a full length 103 min film that can captivate and hold your attention for the entire time, can be a huge undertaking.
This is the case with filmmaker Abi Damaris Corbin, who did great in capturing the tension and suspense, but sadly for a very small part of the film. There's a huge missed opportunity for more much needed narrative and complexity, that instead plays out like a cliched, understated and underwhelming meandering story.
Many scenes are overly dragged out and unnecessary, felling more like filler than substance. If you watch the trailer, then add the last 10 minutes of the ending, you've pretty much watched the entire film. Everything else, especially the narrative with Boyega's character and his daughter, feels like unnecessary filler.
The rest of the film feels thin and distracting of the true elements of conflict that needed a better exposition. Some parts also felt rushed and unfinished; an example is how and why the sniper took the shot. Everyone knows there's a hierarchy before that trigger is pulled, and the subsequent events that follow. Instead, it just randomly happens without cause, justification or explanation, and that just fails the entire narrative of the main conflict.
However, Corbin's cast direction was perfect in capturing the impeccable performances by all cast members, especially Boyega. The cinematography and score were excellent, and although the pacing was very slow, she succeeded in creating a constant suspenseful tone throughout the majority of the film.
If you're patient and can sit through some irrelevant narrative, this film is a decent, albeit forgettable one-time watch. It's a 6/10 from me.
This is the case with filmmaker Abi Damaris Corbin, who did great in capturing the tension and suspense, but sadly for a very small part of the film. There's a huge missed opportunity for more much needed narrative and complexity, that instead plays out like a cliched, understated and underwhelming meandering story.
Many scenes are overly dragged out and unnecessary, felling more like filler than substance. If you watch the trailer, then add the last 10 minutes of the ending, you've pretty much watched the entire film. Everything else, especially the narrative with Boyega's character and his daughter, feels like unnecessary filler.
The rest of the film feels thin and distracting of the true elements of conflict that needed a better exposition. Some parts also felt rushed and unfinished; an example is how and why the sniper took the shot. Everyone knows there's a hierarchy before that trigger is pulled, and the subsequent events that follow. Instead, it just randomly happens without cause, justification or explanation, and that just fails the entire narrative of the main conflict.
However, Corbin's cast direction was perfect in capturing the impeccable performances by all cast members, especially Boyega. The cinematography and score were excellent, and although the pacing was very slow, she succeeded in creating a constant suspenseful tone throughout the majority of the film.
If you're patient and can sit through some irrelevant narrative, this film is a decent, albeit forgettable one-time watch. It's a 6/10 from me.