(https://i.imgur.com/uqbpB0L.png)
Studio: Low Spark Films/Roadside Attractions/Vertical Entertainment
Release Date: 8/12/2022
Rating: R
Film Grade: B+
The Story: Emily is in a tough place. With a bumpy history she can't get past and saddled with huge student debt from art school, she desperately needs money. Working as an independent contractor for a catering company isn’t cutting it, which leads to a newfound opportunity – credit card fraud.
My Take: This is the feature debut for writer/director John Patton Ford, and he’s put together a compelling little crime thriller that’s filled with a number of twists, all while maintaining a good amount of tension in its 97-minute runtime.
Aubrey Plaza does a solidly credible job playing Emily, with the right mix of desperation and chutzpah, and never falling back to her comedic nature. Keeping pace with her is Theo Rossi, who shows a remarkable amount of charisma as the person that introduces her to this new criminal undertaking. The rest of the cast is just as good in their smaller roles, with each of them breathing life into their characters and making them believable.
Video: There’s nothing remarkable here, either in a good or bad way. While I’ve never visited Los Angeles, the film did a good job of making it feel like one would expect, with lots of sun along with shady areas.
Audio: This is another simple Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. Even so, there’s a good sense of the different spaces that the movie takes place in, with ambient sounds as needed. There are a few bass hits scattered throughout, but it’s not demo material. This isn’t the kind of movie that needs it. Dialog is easy to understand throughout.
Special Features: None.
Final Verdict: While this isn’t the type of movie I generally like, it’s the kind of small budget film that really deserves a larger audience. The story is involving, even if the main character isn’t totally likeable (by design). While the story is propelled by student debt, it’s not a major theme, and the movie never gets preachy about it.
Instead, the film is about some of the choices and mistakes we all make in life and the resulting consequences. Tonally, it struck me as a lower-key version of the Adam Sandler movie Uncut Gems, even if the stories are different. Anyone that enjoyed that film is encouraged to give this one a go, and I believe it’s available on Netflix streaming right now.
My only real gripe is the ending that I wasn’t totally happy with. While it didn’t ruin the movie for me, it did undercut the narrative.
Both my wife and I enjoyed this, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more work by John Patton Ford, as he displays a good deal of talent putting together this movie.
Fun Quote: “Why don’t you do something else?”
My Review System:
JVC DLA-RS420 Reference Series D-Ila Projector with 4K eShift4
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup