North of the City (2016) User Reviews

Locked me in...

[SLKoether · 7/10 · 12 July 2018]

This film kept me engaged throughout and I liked the suspense. For an indie film - overall well done.

Conspiracies abound

[csheff3 · 7/10 · 9 July 2018]

Dialogue heavy and story focused, this film sets government and pharmaceutical conspiracy theories and sets two heroes on a race to expose the truth. Rooted in independent research with noticeable political thriller influences, the story could definitely have been convoluted on paper, but the choice to frame the information against easily digestible sequences and minimalist shooting style makes it more of a conversation with the viewer. A conspiracy mystery cat and mouse adventure.

How did this get a 5.7 rating?

[maschanze · 1/10 · 15 August 2019]

I tried to watch this because of the overall rating but to call it amateurish is generous. I can only assume the other reviewers are friends of the production company.

What was this?

[jhr2012 · 2/10 · 29 July 2018]

Was this movie filmed on a cell phone? The acting and dialog are awful. It has the look of an 8th grade project of some kind; it's that bad!

I have no idea how this movie rates a 7? Those folks obviously didn't see the same film I saw.

sound design

[cateatbird · 2/10 · 2 December 2019]

Have any of these producers heard of editing or sound design? It's a bad first year community college film. Why is this on here. Who rated it 19? Some of the film makers cast,friends and family. This is beneath a sub-college level.Don't waste your time. This film is feces.

Slick indie conspiracy suspense thriller.

[vincentjroth · 8/10 · 21 May 2018]

Slick indie conspiracy suspense thriller. Nice to see the ambition of an independent film pulling off a suspenseful crime drama. Starts off as the ordinary-person-minding-your-own-business-get-caught-up-in-someone-else's-crazy (I'm sure there's a better literary term for that technique). Great cinematography, especially all the driving action. Mix of strong actors and developing actors. Info is doled out as needed, or even later than needed, so wait for it. An enjoyable wild ride (sometimes literally) with a satisfying ending.

Compelling Thriller

[JGReviews · 10/10 · 24 January 2019]

North of the City is a compelling thriller that had my interest throughout. The story involves two people on the run from mysterious and highly trained men who are trying to kill them. As the film progresses, it is revealed that figures from Big Pharma and the government are the ones after them and our two leads fight to survive and to figure out why. This is a well done independent thriller that excels at getting us inside the lead actors' heads and brings us in on the investigation of who is responsible. The film does a particularly good job of doling out bits of information that progress toward the climax of the film, leaving us more involved in the film and having us crave more. If you're in the mood for a thriller, watch North of the City.

Solving the Conspiracy Genre

[TheAll-SeeingI · 10/10 · 17 January 2019]

North of the City is a Paul Zimmerman film, and one that shows great ambition in taking on and successfully contorting a long-standing prototype within the drama genre. That prototype is the conspiracy story, and to compete in an arena historically cluttered with major studio triumphs, you'd best be prepared to nail it. Fortunately, Zimmerman's fearless approach to his storytelling manages to accomplish just that.

As North of the City's log line efficiently states, "To survive, they have to get North Of The City. To save their lives, they need to go back." As its plot takes full shape, we find a female and male lead on the run from a security firm. Zimmerman - who also penned the screenplay - serves up a heavy dose of intrigue as we learn that our two leads aren't quite sure of what exactly they've seen that warrants being hunted. They do know that to survive, they'd best figure it out, and all in the process of trying to sort out who it is that's following them and who needs to be the eventual recipient of their nebulous information.

North of the City shows great craft in setting up a culminating payoff as we await the convergence of story elements. When that payoff comes, it jackpots. For those who believe that an effective story is the foremost prerequisite to effective storytelling - and perhaps particularly so in the conspiracy-driven drama space - then North of the City is a custom-tailored gem that awaits your immediate discovery.

A triumphant intellectual thriller!

[Anmer93 · 9/10 · 29 July 2019]

An excellent indie crime conspiracy thrillride. Packed full of tension and suspense this is a triumphant intellectual thriller that puts engaging characters and ever intriguing plot lines first. A great Friday night film.

Very engaging film...

[fredwilharm · 8/10 · 25 September 2018]

I suspect that North of the City was made on a shoestring, but it has 3 things that offset that -story, story, and story. The script is solid , as is the core cast. I saw no bad acting outside of a character or two with a small part. The strong storyline held my attention for an hour and 25 minutes- not an easy thing to do, I'm very easily lost. Kudos to the director for also playing a main character and later editing the film. One of the more enjoyable indie films I've watched. Several good action sequences too.

A very solid suspense. See for yoursef

[johnapplebee-95947 · 8/10 · 11 January 2019]

I thought this was a very solid indie suspense. It started off slow but once it picked up it was good. It's some truth in this movie about the pharmaceutical companies. Story was good and acting was very solid. It's s good flick to watch

engaging throughout

[JoshSegel · 9/10 · 23 January 2019]

This is a solidly crafted indie dramatic thriller. It's a slow burn that wisely takes its time allowing the story to unfold. The performances are well done and convincing, especially by the two leads. I'm looking forward to seeing what this writer/director and his team do next.

Oscar quality film.

[farleym-19442 · 26 January 2020]

Just kidding about the Oscar. Bad dialogue teamed with fair acting. If your grandkids made this film at summer camp you could be proud. Thank goodness there was no nudity.