TIFF 2017 review DOWNRANGE

2107
Directed by: Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring: Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson, Anthony Kirlew, and Rod Hernandez

Kitamura wastes no time in DOWNRANGE. The tension in the film starts almost immediately and never lets up. I felt like I was holding my breath for 89 minutes, this film is utterly relentless. Six college-aged students are taking a cross-country trip when they have a blow out on one of their tires. In the middle of changing that tire, they happen across the shell casing from a long range rifle and realize, it wasn't a blowout. The tire had been shot.

Within moments bullets are flying towards the young travelers and they are pinned down. Unable to move out from behind the vehicle, the elusive sniper unloads a barrage of fire. On an empty rural road, in the middle of nowhere, with inconsistent cell service, they are alone with this determined assassin. Their only hope seems to wait him out, to see if another car happens along their path. The marksman is frustratingly patient. He simply waits for them to move.

Kitamura has adopted the less is more approach to his villain in DOWNRANGE. He understands that when you fill in the blanks, give too much backstory, and create empathy for the villain you lessen the tension. It might make for a more complex and nuanced story, but it kills the fun. DOWNRANGE has a heightened sense of style that mirrors the frenetic story he is tackling. The camera is constantly moving and barely gives the audience a chance to get their bearings.

Under the punishing heat of a blazing sun, the ensuing game of cat-and-mouse tests the resourcefulness of both sides, action escalating as new victims speed unsuspectingly into the line of fire. By nightfall what was once an unassuming stretch of isolated country road has become a smoking battlefield of wrecked cars, strewn corpses, hide-and-seek shootouts and everyone-for-themselves desperation. By sunrise? It’s only going to get worse..

To Americans, director Ryuhei Kitamura -- the man behind such cult hits as Versus, Azumi and The Midnight Meat Train -- may have worked with big names like Bradley Cooper and Luke Evans; and in the East, superstars like Shun Oguri and Tadanobu Asano, but he got his start in independent film, with he and his collaborators fighting against all odds to craft large-scale excitement with next to no money or resources.

DOWNRANGE is an angry little film that is easily Kitamura's most violent to date. Not for the faint of heart, he has reconnected with his indie roots and made an anxiety-inducing film that will play to and exceed every genre fans bloodiest wishes.

POPULATION PURGE Trailer and Release Info

In a dystopian world where a radical government has unleashed a deadly poison to control population, only those with blood type AB positive remain unscathed. But instead of outright death, the rest of the population is left to suffer in a state of chronic illness, causing widespread chaos and panic. As the majority slowly succumbs to the effects of the poison, their only hope lies in receiving transfusions of AB positive blood from the few immune survivors, like Charlie and his granddaughter Maya. Living in the decrepit remains of an abandoned amusement park, Charlie is a renegade supplier of blood to the underground market. But their sanctuary is threatened by the iron-fisted rule of District 22's ruthless warden, Onslow, who will stop at nothing to save his own dying son. As Charlie and Maya fight to defend their haven and their own sanity, the eccentric duo must navigate through a world of danger and betrayal. POPULATION PURGE was written by Brian Johnson and Toby Osborne and di

A SACRIFICE Trailer and Release Info

Written and Directed by Jordan Scott Produced by Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo, Georgina Pope Starring Eric Bana, Sadie Sink, and Sylvia Hoeks A Sacrifice is an emotionally turbulent story that follows American social psychologist Ben Monroe (Eric Bana) who is investigating a local Berlin cult connected to disturbing events. While he immerses himself in his work, his rebellious teenage daughter, Mazzy (Sadie Sink), becomes embroiled with a mysterious local boy who introduces her to the city’s underground party scene. As their two worlds head toward a dangerous intersection, Ben will need to race against the clock in order to save his daughter. A SACRIFICE will be in theaters on June 28th, 2024

Blue Underground to Release Goodbye Uncle Tom on 4K/Blu-ray!

In a bold move, Blue Underground has announced the upcoming release of "Goodbye Uncle Tom" on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray on April 23rd. This release will offer viewers a chance to witness one of the most notorious and graphic films ever made, showcasing a haunting portrayal of America's dark history of slavery. Originally released in 1971, "Goodbye Uncle Tom" is an Italian mondo-docudrama directed by Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi, the masterminds behind "Mondo Cane." Drawing from period documentation and historical accounts, the film vividly recreates the antebellum South and delves into the horrors of the slave trade. However, the film's unflinching depiction of slavery's atrocities sparked controversy from its inception. Distributors in the US insisted on radical edits to tone down the graphic content before its release. Despite these efforts, "Goodbye Uncle Tom" continued to stir strong reactions among critics a

FOLLOWING FILMS

Search This Blog