I saw this at the Nevermore Film Festival in Durham, NC last weekend. Although I've seen plenty of low-budget movies, and like them if they have a point or consistent plot, this was a horrible disappointment. I did arrive about 5-10 minutes after it started, so perhaps I missed some important establishing shots, but I'm not sure it would have helped. It was a confusing mess, with random, pointless flash-forwards and -backwards.
First, there were WAY too many characters (maybe 30?), with subsequently very little character development. Most of them suffered from "stupid people" syndrome, and were frustratingly inactive and inept. What's worse, none of them were good actors, with the exception of Daisy Ridley. She seemed to have dropped in from another film.
The cast is roughly split between a bunch of teenagers and their parents. Occasionally the action stops, and we're treated with a scene of an adult and teenager sitting in a café, or a grocery, and having some pointless time-wasting conversation about life. None of the actors make much of an impact, especially the ostensible star of the film - the writer of the comic book. He is incapable of showing any real emotions other than a confused aloofness.
The film lost me when he sees a friend murdered on the beach, and does almost nothing about it. He runs to tell his Mom, but she interrupts him, saying she's too busy to listen right now. Why doesn't he tell anyone else? Or perhaps go to the police? And does no one else on the beach see the body? This plot-line is forgotten within 2 minutes.
Even the comic book angle of the film was wasted. The comic itself is glanced in short shaky takes, but is quickly glossed over. The ending is nothing special, and doesn't provide decent closure, either. Save your time and skip this one.
First, there were WAY too many characters (maybe 30?), with subsequently very little character development. Most of them suffered from "stupid people" syndrome, and were frustratingly inactive and inept. What's worse, none of them were good actors, with the exception of Daisy Ridley. She seemed to have dropped in from another film.
The cast is roughly split between a bunch of teenagers and their parents. Occasionally the action stops, and we're treated with a scene of an adult and teenager sitting in a café, or a grocery, and having some pointless time-wasting conversation about life. None of the actors make much of an impact, especially the ostensible star of the film - the writer of the comic book. He is incapable of showing any real emotions other than a confused aloofness.
The film lost me when he sees a friend murdered on the beach, and does almost nothing about it. He runs to tell his Mom, but she interrupts him, saying she's too busy to listen right now. Why doesn't he tell anyone else? Or perhaps go to the police? And does no one else on the beach see the body? This plot-line is forgotten within 2 minutes.
Even the comic book angle of the film was wasted. The comic itself is glanced in short shaky takes, but is quickly glossed over. The ending is nothing special, and doesn't provide decent closure, either. Save your time and skip this one.