When I say I'm a cinephile, I mean it. I've watched more movies than I could ever count, all kinds, including legitimate low-budget schlock, so I'm not instantly biased against low-budget films because they can still be well-made and entertaining. However, this...whatever is so mean-spirited, soulless, and poorly made that it makes movies like Death Promise look like a Kurosawa film. Just AWFUL story, awful characters, awful EVERYTHING.
The only plus is that it's very legitimately diverse (as in minorities aren't just hanging out in the background with no lines)--but, I mean, given how the characters are used, it's not really a benefit. The main actor was perfectly cast for his face alone because I've never seen such a punchable actor in my life. The only actor that seemed to be making a consistent effort was the one playing the sister. There were subplots that didn't really go anywhere and a lot of random scenes. This...whatever could have been 30 minutes. Also, there were violent crimes committed that went unpunished/unresolved. And the "redemption" of the main character was poorly paced and laughable. There was no walking back that irredeemable character just because the script says so. The writers gave us zero to empathize with (thinking some "props" like a mother and child would suffice) but wanted us to accept him suddenly being changed. Uh, no.
This offended me not by the content but by the execution. I knew in the first few seconds, seeing the camerawork, that I should have shut it off. I regret going until the end.
The only plus is that it's very legitimately diverse (as in minorities aren't just hanging out in the background with no lines)--but, I mean, given how the characters are used, it's not really a benefit. The main actor was perfectly cast for his face alone because I've never seen such a punchable actor in my life. The only actor that seemed to be making a consistent effort was the one playing the sister. There were subplots that didn't really go anywhere and a lot of random scenes. This...whatever could have been 30 minutes. Also, there were violent crimes committed that went unpunished/unresolved. And the "redemption" of the main character was poorly paced and laughable. There was no walking back that irredeemable character just because the script says so. The writers gave us zero to empathize with (thinking some "props" like a mother and child would suffice) but wanted us to accept him suddenly being changed. Uh, no.
This offended me not by the content but by the execution. I knew in the first few seconds, seeing the camerawork, that I should have shut it off. I regret going until the end.