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d-foytik
Reviews
Infliction (2014)
Thinking is Good
Indie films.
I can usually find something I like about almost all of them because they represent the willingness of a storyteller to take risks and experiment with new ideas. The nice thing with Infliction is that I don't have to dig for nice things to say.
This isn't a big budget Hollywood film, but really, that's a blessing these days. I miss story, I miss films that ask tough questions, and I miss stories about characters. Infliction delivers in all of these areas. It's a hard film to watch sometimes because it asks hard questions and makes you as the viewer answer them yourself. There's also no soundtrack to lead you down a breadcrumb trail to "How should I feel about what's happening?"
This film embraces the "challenges" associated with making an indie film on a tight budget and turns them into benefits. Innovation comes from being forced to solve problems, and the filmmakers and actors of Infliction are up to the task.
The actors feel like a family - more so than many big budget offerings - and that makes this a film that pulls you in and makes you truly uncomfortable in that way films about such a heavy topic must.
Yes, it's entertaining, and there are definitely things about the movie that are fun, but at its core, Infliction is a powerful film designed to make you think and ask questions. It has great acting in many, many scenes, and a slow reveal that might just have you rethinking the way you see society and families.
The Other Side (2014)
Story and Character
Sometimes a film is made that takes a new look at an old concept and asks it questions. This film does that.
It's easy for a critic to focus on technical or structural details they feel could have been done differently, but at the end of the day, the beauty of a well done indie film isn't special effects or big name actors, it's the story, the characters, and the freedom to make a film that isn't just another recycled formulaic plot. When I look at an indie film, I ask what it brings to the table that hasn't been done before.
Like the first film to put zombies on the table - "Night of the Living Dead" - "The Other Side" does it right. The filmmakers obviously understand their budget and focus on where they can shine. They create a film that is entertaining, makes you think, and will inspire others. The film is clever enough to nod, deliberately and tongue-in-cheek, to the genre clichés, but it definitely delivers new ideas.
It's a fun film, well shot, and the final product reflects the enthusiasm of the actors and filmmakers to do something fresh and interesting. There are more than enough scenes in this film where you forget you're watching a movie and become enthralled by the story, and for me, that's the hallmark of any good film - indie or otherwise.