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Reviews
Access Control (2022)
Fun Indie, Faith-Based Comedy
Pleasantly surprised by this fun buddy comedy. Solid acting, directing and writing. Never felt distracted by any indie film flaws. Impressed with that this writer-director accomplished without the millions of dollars other films in this genre have at their disposal. Liked that at first the two main characters aren't that likeable but as the film continued, I could warm up to them and really enjoy their challenges and progression through to the end. The detective aspect also really kept me guessing in a good way and I was thrilled by the final resolution. All in all a very solid and enjoyable indie Faith-Based comedy.
The Housekeeper (2023)
Pretty outstanding for an indie thriller
Was impressed by how much the writer-director accomplished for such and indie level film for Tubi. We definitely need more directors like this one who have more subtlety and creativity than many give credit for. The set design and overall atmosphere of the film is really great. The camerawork and editing are solid and impressive in an understated way. The film reminded me a lot of Val Lewton's films that departed from standard shock shlock in many horror branded films of its time to focus on subtle human drama with a backdrop of horror. Really enjoyed Denise Richards in this role as well. Easy to hate on a film like this but we desperately need to stop comparing films like this, which are opening the way for new and talented directors with very small budgets, to films with exponentially larger budgets.
The Haunting Lodge (2023)
Cool Found Footage Indie
Enjoyable found footage horror film that stays light on the "horror" but remains compelling in its own way. First off, ALL the actors felt very authentic and in-the-moment for the entirety of the film. I especially liked the main duo who, although being charmingly annoying at times, had great screen charisma that kept me watching throughout the entire film. I'd gladly watch another film with this duo if it could happen. Would be great if this was a trilogy or a series.
This was also very original in both the location and the type of unknown entities in the film. Also unique in that this film is not really "hard-boiled" horror but more like a "cozy mystery" horror if that can be a thing.
Recommend a watch for some light and easy enjoyment.
Jovi & Lou (2023)
Enjoyable Indie about Amoral Dilemmas
Really enjoyed this indie comedy about navigating difficult moral decisions in a world replete with competing world views. Liked the main actor and actress who played the couple hit with unfair misfortune. In many ways, this seemed like a play put to the screen. Not only was this due to the set designs but also the acting style and dialogue had that stage-play feel to it.
This is the kind of film some will like and some will hate since it's about competing ideologies but also draws no hard and fast conclusions aside from human nature being largely egotistic and trivial.
I enjoyed this film largely because it's a window into the mind of a single creator rather than a commercial machine.
Nova (2021)
Cool Indie Near Future Sci-fi
Enjoyable independent sci-fi film with a compelling narrative about a small crew composed of humans and humanoid robots en route to the Mars colony. Was pleasantly surprised that despite the low budget, the production quality was high enough and consistent throughout the film to keep me captivated. The acting is okay, my favorite actor being the one who played the ship's captain, but also the woman who played the titular character had me forgetting she was human. Also the film handled the challenge of having a young child actress quite well and she did a great job in her role.
All in all a technically solid and fun indie film.
They Don't Cast Shadows (2022)
Solid US "Faith-Based" Movie
Very well made Christian indie drama-horror film. Solid soundtrack, camera work, acting and editing. Never felt distracted by the fact it's a low-budget indie. I would characterize it as a cross between two popular TV shows: Supernatural and Touched by an Angel. Although it doesn't go as dark as the former and stays in the G-rating territory of the latter.
Liked the main actress a lot. She really nailed the role and remained consistent throughout the film. Also interesting to see how much prayer and American Christian ideology is explained throughout the film. Was fascinating to see the heavenly light effect radiating from above when characters prayed.
American Dreams (2019)
Great Indie Filmmaking
This film resonated with me in many ways. It's a character piece about a man who has never exactly found his place in the world partly due to a sibling relationship that has remained unresolved and prevented the main character from finding his identity. I liked that the performances and situations are mostly understated, avoiding over-the-top melodrama, and remaining coherent to the end. Really enjoyed the subplot where the main character joins up with a friend from his childhood to team up and follow their largely incompatible dreams. Also was interesting how the different generations of the family was contrasted by how religion or other factors defines them. Great indie film to watch!
Evil Lurks (2023)
Unique intergenerational Indie Horror
Really enjoyed this indie film that's so full of passionate spirit in a great way! Epic and compelling storyline that went across three generations of a bloodline afflicted by a terrifying and mysterious entity. Great use of creepy effects. Really great casting for the film and most of the performances were above par of what you'd see in many indie films. I liked that that actors were cast not for their pretty faces, but most were more appropriately cast for characters who had lived rough lives with lots of hardship. Really enjoyed the scenes and dialogue of the creepy neighbor - especially his final bit of dialogue.
Streamer (2016)
Outstanding and Authentic Indie Film
Such a great indie film that really captures the extreme isolation that can happen in a single man's life who has the bad luck to miss early relationships in school and college and then finds it even harder to connect in the "real world". I loved the subtle shifts between the fantasies and reality of the main character. The acting, camerawork, lighting and editing were really solid for an indie film. The soundtrack was really cool and had a great indie vibe as well. The directors did a great job creating a visual palette that kept the film fresh and interesting. Highly recommended for those who love indies over commercial industry films.
The Sea Was Never Blue (2022)
Compelling film that takes on complex themes
Saw this solid indie on Tubi and it really stood out as one of the better films you can find on a platform like that. The characters are distinct and quite memorable and the struggles they face are.tragic and moving. Was very ambitious for the themes it dealt with, was shot well and had a sizeable cast of characters. I thought the role that Eric Roberts played was refreshing compared to a lot of roles he gets nowadays. Some of the actors and acting was stronger than others and, at times, the film relies too heavily on dialogue, but it was never boring or overly contrived. This seems to be a first feature so definitely looking forward to what this talented writer-director will do next.
The Martyr (2021)
Unique and Compelling Short Doc
Saw this at the Rhode Island Film Festival and was blown away. I usually prefer fiction films to documentaries but this film successfully incorporated all the things I love about fiction in a unique yet faithful way into a non-fiction doc. It did this with an excellent soundtrack and a mix of live action footage, animation and stills. Highly recommend this film!
Impossible to Imagine (2019)
Unique, Compelling and Insightful
Just finished watching this wonderful film and feel a need to share my thoughts right away.
First off, as I was watching the initial half hour or so , it reminded me of a great BBC series called A YEAR IN PROVENCE because, in a similar fashion, it captured the quotidian life of a small kimono shop owner in Kyoto in a purely entertaining way. In this case though, the main character isn't a fish out of water, but the film took the very challenging approach of revealing the complexities of her life through the interaction with an "outsider".
Not going to say any spoilers but by the end of the film I felt I could understand more deeply several characters' points of view that I wouldn't really have understood before. Honestly, I'm glad I didn't know much about the film going in because these aren't the type of characters I'd normally find sympathetic at all. Yet the film, skillfully and subtly, led me down a new path and by the end I felt I missed the characters and their world and sympathized with their choices, strengths and vulnerabilities.
The Sky Has Fallen (2009)
This one really grew on me
This is one of those films that kept me thinking for quite a while after watching it. It was less the story, characters and more the structure of the film i liked. Although there is a through-line to the story, I enjoyed the way it was arranged in vignettes, suddenly cutting to different places where survivors were beset by these very unique zombies and their more unique handlers. Honestly I enjoyed these survivor attack stories more than the main story. Due to this structure, it develops such a dreamlike quality after a while, with a detached sense of time and place.
The effects of the film reminded me so much of the Fulci zombie films. Watching this was like a master class in creating those kinds of gruesome effects. I never got tired of seeing the live action gore and trying to figure out how the special effects artist made them.
At first the dialogue felt too detached and odd, but it gradually grew on me in the same way Hal Hartley's dialogue does. Director-wise it was a cool mash-up of Hartley with extremely gory Fulci spicing up the entire thing. For an indie film the soundtrack was also quite good. The impacts and other sounds were very visceral (pun intended).
Overall I enjoyed this indie film for it's dream-like quality the most, despite the disjointed pacing that comes with most indie films.
Pincus (2012)
A Rough Diamond
An independent film in every sense of the word, Pincus is neither seamless nor polished but is all the better for it.
The narrative unfolds in a series of vignettes revolving around a main character yet it would be a mistake to call this a character-driven film. Although most would opt to spend only a short while with the main character, it's the supporting characters that give this film both richness and authenticity that is often lacking in slicker star-driven comedy dramas.
If you value the authentic in cinema, don't need your narrative in a nice tidy little soul-less package, and actually enjoy an irredeemable main character then Pincus is definitely for you. A lot of "ifs", I know, but I for one am truly thankful for this genuinely refreshing film.