A Transmission Films Picture, Written and Directed By Kevin Tran.
This film from writer/director Kevin Tran is both incredibly low-key and also very ambitious at the same time. It may have been marketed as a horror/thriller but it is closer to a character drama with thriller elements thrown in.
Instead of featuring jump scares and a simple plot, we instead just track the intersecting lives of multiple different people on the same street, while a mysterious force seems to be killing pets up and down the street.
The news of this is what inspired people to act and interact the way they do on this fateful night, and while there are very few big or stand out moments, that is intentional. Tran is building a film entirely around atmosphere and character.
Naturally, some of the characters and their stories work better than others. There are times where you really feel that the story is lagging and not going anywhere when focusing on certain characters and because this is the entire way the story is told, that can be an issue.
The stand-out strand is the dynamic between Brooke Bloom’s Marney and Anthony Chisholm’s Ian. Two people with seemingly little in common but on this night they are both alone and troubled, and find solace in each other.
Overall, this is by no means a stunning film that will leave you riveted, but it is definitely a well made one with a distinct directional style, and I respect that.
Rating = 3/5
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