Convergence (I) (2015) User Reviews

My first movie review

[punkrocker-74097 · 4/10 · 11 March 2016]

Out of the thousand of movies I have seen, very few are able to confuse me as much as this movie. So much so, I had to share my experience.

First of all, there were a few positives about this movie. It was visually pleasing with enough decent actors to enjoy and, as far as thrillers are concerned, I love movies that keep me guessing.

Now for the negatives. I want a movie that keeps me guessing, sure, but only up until the end. Not after the movie is over. I have gone over and over in my mind what exactly the blazes is that I just watched. Originally, I thought that this was going to be one of those second chance movies, where the hero has to redeem himself and he can come back to life from a coma or something along those lines. Wrong. After realizing this, I could not grasp what the story was actually trying to say. All of the random additions to the movie like the many guns, the nurse who sounded like she came from the 50s, the weird shrine, why Daniel was so obsessed with the hero, the files on the table, why the hero's boss didn't tell him where he was, why the hero didn't try very hard to leave the hospital (before he realized he was dead), the whole "killing someone while in purgatory" concept, the transferring of items (the glasses) using a girl who can magically enter purgatory, etc., are virtually endless.

Oddly enough, I couldn't find a twist in this mystery/thriller. Unless the twist is that you expect some sort of glorious redemption for the hero and in the end he just tortures a guy for a name of another guy who was right next to the bomb when it went off and should be dead anyway, and then after getting the name continues to beat him (apparently). It feels like there are some missing scenes that are key to putting the whole story together that would make me say "oh so THAT'S why".

In conclusion, without a full explanation of the strange going-ons in this movie either before or after watching it, it is just not worth watching. Take it from me, someone who has seen almost every semi-decent+ mystery/thriller movie ever made. There are much better movies/ways to spend your time watching.

Could have been so much better.

[Info-241-562323 · 5/10 · 23 February 2016]

I watched this, basically as the idea (and some other reviews) intrigued me - not sure if it warranted such a low score; but I wouldn't have raised it by much (maybe a 5.0/5.5). The general idea behind it is pretty good, but would probably have made a better book than a film; and here lies the problem.

Not enough is left to the psychological imagination - everything is very 'full on' to the point I wasn't sure if I was watching an action, thriller, horror or sci-fi movie. You get a bit of everything thrown at you, and sadly it gets a bit tedious and confusing after a while.

The storyline could have been conveyed so much better without the 'hey ho' attitudes and rough and tumble action scenes - they just weren't needed. All these did for me was take me away from the essence of the movie until I completely lost track of what it was all about.

Movie takes an interesting turn towards the end - something which I would have liked to have seen incorporated earlier, as unfortunately I had started to lose interest by this stage.

Verdict: if you've absolutely nothing else to watch, give it a go. It's not a complete waste of time; but it will more than likely be easily forgotten. 5/10

might be worth sitting through

[flowirin · 3/10 · 18 February 2016]

I'm not sure about this one. Without giving any spoilers, its odd.

The beginning is interesting, then it goes really really really bad for a while. Better adjectives? Hackneyed. Dull. Gratuitously violent. Confused.

About an hour in, things take a turn for the more interesting, although the overplayed grunt of violence and US style gun fetish get tiring.

There's a theme of fundamentalism, but i'm not sure that there really are any fundamental christians who act like the moron in this movie. Maybe i'm wrong and the world is a far more horrid place than i believe. At any rate, if those people do exist, i don't expect they have any supernatural abilities such as exhibited here. The suspense of disbelief required is a wee bit too far. As is the torture and violence. pointless. endless.

Still, there are scenes in the film that are clever, hinting at places that a less pain and violence obsessed director could take a better movie.

If you like torture movies and the supernatural and old fashioned detective movies, then perhaps this might be your thing.

Convergence - Schmonsergence

[MooveeVu · 1/10 · 15 February 2016]

Here we have Convergence. A film that tackles the deeply philosophical themes of the price to be paid for redemption and truth, heaven and hell, right and wrong. Oh pleeeese!! A promising start (only because the opening credits are a comprehensive larceny of Se7en but, unfortunately, that's where the similarities end). Our hero is the typical family man/bomb disposal/discovery expert attached to the local constabulary. Called in from his vacation (apparently an important factor in this drivel) he speaks to his commanding officer (who apologises for calling him in) and one other heavily padded bomb disposal team member and then proceeds to fan out with the team and search for further potential incendiary devices. Sighting a short bald man through a broken window frame he calls out. Baldy says "Body here, just picking it up" (^). KABOOOM. This takes our hero directly to the mysteriously uninhabited hospital with one nurse on duty and a mysterious guard that everyone "Just calls Grace". Oooooh – Intriguing???….no, not really. I think every viewer can guess what's happening here but no, not our surprisingly unscarred hero. He staggers around blindly to discover the other characters in this compacted Purgatory of white walls and non-working elevators. Surprise, surprise. He discovers his boss is here advising/ordering him to "stay in bed and recover. Don't move, that's an order.", "sit here and drink your coffee. Don't move, that's an order." Of course our hero defies his boss and hunts around the hallowed, deserted halls. He comes across his boss and team. His team consists of the above mentioned bomb team worker and two others. Not too sure who these are or where they came from. Even by the closing credits I can only figure that one is a lady in a blue dress with a dead daughter (apparently a bomb victim) and Isaac, a short dumpy guy (yep, that's it, that's all there is to him – Isaac, a short dumpy guy). Also the mandatory floating spirits and the hero's (and apparently everyone else's) nemesis Daniel whom considers himself "the right hand of God". I think poor old Danny has delusions of grandeur and has not actually been designated by the "Big Cheese" as a bona fide member of the ecclesiastical team. Apparently Daniel can kill or maim the crew and they instantly become his soldiers of Christian redemption of the others moral turpitude. Not too sure whether his methods qualify under the banner of Christianity kindness and forgiveness but the wrath of the Almighty can be severe. The fact that knives, shotguns and pistols are used to dispatch not only the mere mortals here but also the wispy, ghostly spirits is a little far-fetched but hey, I've not visited Purgatory so how would I know? One small point I'd like cleared up how come Daniel and his team of big scary dead/undead/tortured/de tongued killer team are able to be punched, kicked pushed and, most surprisingly, need to use all of their zombie powers to avoid being hit by deadly office plastic garbage bins and plastic paper holders flung at them by our hero during physical confrontations? I think all viewers will start to meditate on the deep metaphysical connotations within this movie when our hero states "Sometimes faith is just a stairwell". Then comes the third bit. Bringing us into current times with the "Ghostbusters" team trying to find the truths and apparently trying to tie up the loose ends of this, by now, unsaveable rubbish. Sorry, yet another fail. Closing scene of hero's broken glasses passed over from "the other side" to be delivered on to the hero's grieving wife and daughter brings relief, not only to his family, but also to the viewer that it is finally over. As much as anyone I am perfectly capable of suspending disbelief for 90 minutes of my life to view an interesting and intriguing thriller and mystery but there must be some sense of realism and connectedness with continuity in a story. This movie has none. Why, in a world with millions of deaths a day, would this Purgatory only accept six or seven people? How does an (apparently) already dead Purgatory tenant come to be to be killed again? Why would these tenants need to be restrained by worldly medical restraints? Why is the all-powerful "right hand of God" adversely affected by "water boarding" torture? Why was the short bald man (^) not killed in the blast that took out our hero and what was a medic doing in a building that had not been cleared by bomb disposal? Pretentious, unbelievable, far–fetched, Convergence is a supernatural thriller with delusions of its own grandeur. Not supernatural, not a thriller. At a showing in Phoenix film festival writer/director Drew Hall apparently bet the audience that no-one would ever see "the twist coming" in this movie. I owe you Mr. Hall because I lost the bet. I have watched it and did not even SEE "a twist" in this waste of celluloid. Why, in this season of movie awards, with such magnificent offerings as Brooklyn, The Revenant, Spotlight etc. do I subject myself to this mundane, humdrum dross? Maybe it is my Purgatory? This one ranks with Ghostline as time I will never get back in my life. If you must see it the Blue Ray is available now on Amazon for the bargain price of $9.99 but I'd wait a couple of weeks until it comes down to $1.99 One star (for stealing the opening credits)

"completely awful"

[cmv32261 · 1/10 · 18 February 2016]

Yet again people who have not really been guilty of being wicked, but because they did not have much faith they need to prove they are worthy of making it onto a plane of existence far better than the 1 on which us lowly humans reside.

What was the average rating, 4.3, same as the IQ of those who rated it that high.

Yet again people who have not really been guilty of being wicked, but because they did not have much faith they need to prove they are worthy of making it onto a plane of existence far better than the 1 on which us lowly humans reside.

What was the average rating, 4.3, same as the IQ of those who rated it that high.

Sickroom

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 17 September 2016]

Although that German title of the movie is not entirely accurate, it does describe a certain feel and aesthetic the movie has. It is low budget, but it does have some decent actors in it. One of them you may know from the other side of the law, playing a very charismatic and colorful (no pun intended) character in Justified.

But apart from recognizable faces (maybe) and some decent twists, this also offers some nice effects. Though nice is not the word one may want to use in combination of this movie, it is pretty good for a movie of its size. If you don't take that into consideration, you probably will rate this a lot lower than I have, but you've been warned. Characters are bland of course, but B-movie fun can be there if you look for it

Another disappointing Netflix selection

[jhr2012 · 1/10 · 2 May 2017]

What a waste of time. I have no idea what I just watched. I fell asleep three times because it was so boring, and each time, there were a bunch of new characters. The story was confusing and I could not keep track of the characters. More importantly, I didn't care! Don't watch this one. You'll be as disappointed as I was, I'm sure.

A Horror-Action-Mystery Like No Other

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 29 January 2016]

A detective (Clayne Crawford) must fight for the redemption of his soul when he finds himself trapped in a mysterious hospital that serves as a gateway between heaven and hell.

Writer-director Drew Hall grew up watching the cult classics, including "Maniac Cop" and "Gymkata", and took that frame of mind and mixed it with the literary classic, Dante's "Inferno". For a touch of real life, he relied on something he recalled growing up. As he says, "In Mobile / Pensacola during the 90's there were some really tragic murders committed in the name of God by anti-abortion extremists called the Army of God." These influences, as disparate as they may be, blend very well, and go perfect in the setting of a hospital (filmed at an actual abandoned hospital, no less). Regarding mysterious hospitals, we can trace the motif going back at least to Lars von Trier's "The Kingdom" and probably much earlier... but never before used as it is here.

To flesh out the unique story we have a notable cast. The biggest name is probably Ethan Embry, who really broke out in "Dutch" (1991) and then exploded in "Can't Hardly Wait" (1998). Since 2005, he has been in a steady stream of horror features, and we now know oh so well he can provide a dark side as well as the sweet and innocent. This works great for "Convergence", as he plays both sides in many ways.

Clayne Crawford takes the lead. I was not familiar with his past work, but from certain angles he could pass as Ray Liotta, which is probably a good thing. The actress playing Casey could pass for a younger, more attractive Sandra Bullock... which is definitely a good thing. The nurse's southern accent was a bit over the top (especially compared to her co-stars), but I loved the characters of Grayson and Miles and would like to see more of those actors' faces.

The camera and direction are for the most part great. I could have used less fuzzy, blurry, shaky camera in some places, but this happens more in the first half and is easily forgotten. Some of the great effects later on more than make up for that. The plot is almost what could be called Lynchian. That may be going too far, but I kept getting hints of "Mulholland Drive" for reasons that are not explainable.

This is not something I thought I would ever say, but I love the inclusion of GAPS (the paranormal research team). I strongly dislike "ghost hunting" shows and have no interest in the "Paranormal Activity" franchise. But Drew Hall found a way to use such characters in an interesting, innovative way... they are ideal supporting characters and give the film a sense of balance that might otherwise be lacking.

Lastly, thank you for Everclear's "Santa Monica". Some songs just bring us back to a better time in life, and this is one of them.

Convergence is exactly the kind of movie we need more of.

[kiamag · 9/10 · 1 March 2016]

Convergence is one of those movies that I had to watch more than once. What I loved most about it, was that it challenges both the horror and psychological thriller genres in a whole new way. This film does what Hollywood is scared to do. They attempted something different. The religious themes that run through out add a unique view point that I feel gives more depth both to our hero and to the lunatic he is out to get. Truth be told I did feel there were a few pacing issues just around the middle of the film, but the pay off was worth it. The effects were amazing and done without being so over the top that you are taken back out of the film. They kept it classy. I enjoyed that there is certainly some gore but it's not mindless blood lust. Ethan Embry plays a stellar antagonist and Clayne Crawford shows us the emotional side of being pitted in a situation no man wants to face. Convergence brings it home on numerous levels. Eery ghost like beings, a complete nut job that you cant reason with, and feelings of loss when you attempted to do your best for the hero. The supporting characters are huge in this. The nurse alone gave me goosebumps and one unfortunate soul who had a really bad day as far as his face is concerned really got me. I look up to movies like this because they challenge convention and the day to day, re-purposed crap that Hollywood calls original entertainment. Do yourself a favor and watch Convergence at your nearest opportunity. Drew Hall and his crew really know how to entertain.

GOING TO THE CHAPEL

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 4 May 2018]

Detective Ben Walls (Clayne Crawford) wakes up in a nearly abandoned hospital in Atlanta following an explosion. The first clue we get something is wrong is when the nurse talks about the upcoming Yankees-Browns football game. Ben ignores this but finds himself in weird situation. He meets a guard named Peter Grayson, called Grace for short (Gary Grubbs). We quickly get the idea that this Twilight Zone has a religious theme, one that is explained to us at 58 minutes into the feature. However, if you read the plot description provided by the production for Amazon and IMDB, then you know this plot spoiler already. I was fortunate enough to watch the film cold, which made the mystery aspect a bit more entertaining, unfortunately not entertaining enough. The theme and acting was okay. The confrontations were mostly low key and the torture aspect didn't make a lot of sense. I mean you're dead already, where are you going to go, Cleveland? I liked the nurse Delilah character (Chelsea Bruland), but outside of that, you can keep the rest.

This is not exactly a faith based film, but a film that requires faith to believe. Not recommended for people who have surgery scheduled at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity. Do you really believe?

The best horror- thriller -cult classic type film i have seen all year!

[scottamac · 8/10 · 16 February 2016]

This movie is Fantastic! I really wasn't expecting much when I viewed this film. These days it seems like, " you've seen one you've seen them all" and I'm really getting sick of all the Copy Cat " SAW/ Poltergeist/Satan's busting a move to take over the world "Franchise Crap, but that's Holly wood for you, rehashing a theme until it's a dead horse mangled on the ground.

This movie is done like a cult classic and I think they did it that way on purpose. It has a couple of good spins in it, some scares, some corn ball Lurch types, even a 50's Betty-Boop nurse. It really had a great mixture all around. I'm not really a horror/beyond the grave/Limbo movie fan, but this kept me in my seat and motivated to keep watching.

The twist towards the end and how it just slid right into your lap was really well done, My prediction of how it was going to end was way off and that was refreshing for once.

If you get the chance to take this Movie in, Do so. Enjoy!

A solid 8, with a well written story

[annique-83019 · 8/10 · 18 April 2018]

After glancing over the reviews, and seeing people's confusion/dissatisfaction, I almost didn't bother to watch. If one can only think linearly, or if they are uncomfortable with an unconventional movie, then this movie will probably not be enjoyable. Off the top of my head I'd call it Paranormal, but there are almost equally strong elements of Crime, and Slice of Life.

I tried doing thing whole "figure-out-the-plot-twist", don't bother.....trust me. This may also be an element of what turns people off. This is purely a story being told. Just empty your mind of any preconceived notions and watch. Everything ties in smoothly at a good pace, and the ending is satisfying. Remember, I also labeled this as a Slice of Life. This means no dramatic moments of extraordinary epiphany followed by action. In the end the MC knows exactly what's going on, and just like every human who exercises free will, makes a choice. Also, just like many of us emotion will overcome sense. His heroic deed was accomplished in an anti-heroic style, but just like in life his obsession will.......well I've gone on long enough I think.

Wow

[escalonsandovals · 10/10 · 17 December 2018]

This is an awesome thriller which will have you on the edge of your seat trying to wrap your mind around all the twists & turns. It's is certainly not for the faint at heart & it will have you rethinking certain things in life. I recommend it, but don't watch it alone!!!!

Amazing Just amazing.

[jaluca-59911 · 10/10 · 18 April 2019]

Heroism, spirits passing onto the the afterlife Police drama. A stop to a homegrown terrorist cell. Existential resistance and acceptance. Those who rated this movie poorly did not watch it with open minds. Watch it and savor it

Great Thriller

[fredeickemeyer · 9/10 · 9 September 2018]

This movie had me on the edge all the way through! A solid performance from Clayne Crawford

A must see 3 or 4 times bc very complicated but worth it.

[sherrygorbet · 10/10 · 23 January 2019]

I'm not going to give anything away, but I thought it was a great suspenseful, creepy, wierd in a good way movie. I also can't say too much bc I'm going to have to watch it a couple more times since it's so complex. Throughout the whole movie you're not sure what's going on. I would still recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers, especially if they like Clayne Crawford too. He plays the role so well because even though he knows the end, he plays his confusion to what is happening so well. His actions and reactions are just what mine were up until the end when the truth is explained.