When a group of friends come together to try and make a monster movie they get more than they bargained for, as the camera rolls on their makeshift set a car speeds into the path of an oncoming train and throwing them way out of their depth. As the town is plagued with disappearances and mysteries, Joe and his film-making friends set out to find the cause of all the trouble while Joe's father Jackson a local deputy, tries to find the truth behind the lurking military presence in the small town and their interest with the train wreckage. Caught up in a bizzare event that impacts the whole town, the group set out to find the truth and finish the short film along with trying to find out what connects everything.
Joel Courtney plays the young Joe Lamb, who not only faces the supernatural events but also must comes to the terms of the loss of his mother, his performance alone is good but shines even brighter with his interactions with both Girl next door, Alice Dainard(Elle Fanning) and his struggling father Jackson Lamb(Kyle Chandler). Kyle Chandler adds the emotional weight of the lone father but also works well with the action hero cop in a small town determined to find the truth and finding the right balance between the two roles brilliantly. Elle Fanning also stands out as an upcoming starlet along side Joel and by herself as her character also faces her own family issues. The rest of Joe's group were all well rounded characters with great casting each adding something to the group and developing each character just the right amount. Another mention goes to Noel Emmerich playing the gruff military, following orders type by the book and standing out amongst the cast by sheer difference of character.
J.J Abrams again delivers a grand scale film this time balancing a monster movie with a B-movie while at the same time attempting to re-create the Spielberg era of alien films. Feeling like an edgier more atmospheric E.T , with added realism and well structured characters having real lives and real problems gives it a modern feel over. Mixing the young cast with a less friendly cousin of E.T also shows the brilliance of the films and takes another look at the idea of Humanity in the eyes of an Extra-terrestrial. It retains the child like innocence of a family film and at the same time gives a darker overtone for an older audience making it a great watch for all ages and a film that could be a spark in the style of the classics Spielberg B-movies.
8 / 10
FIN.
Joel Courtney plays the young Joe Lamb, who not only faces the supernatural events but also must comes to the terms of the loss of his mother, his performance alone is good but shines even brighter with his interactions with both Girl next door, Alice Dainard(Elle Fanning) and his struggling father Jackson Lamb(Kyle Chandler). Kyle Chandler adds the emotional weight of the lone father but also works well with the action hero cop in a small town determined to find the truth and finding the right balance between the two roles brilliantly. Elle Fanning also stands out as an upcoming starlet along side Joel and by herself as her character also faces her own family issues. The rest of Joe's group were all well rounded characters with great casting each adding something to the group and developing each character just the right amount. Another mention goes to Noel Emmerich playing the gruff military, following orders type by the book and standing out amongst the cast by sheer difference of character.
J.J Abrams again delivers a grand scale film this time balancing a monster movie with a B-movie while at the same time attempting to re-create the Spielberg era of alien films. Feeling like an edgier more atmospheric E.T , with added realism and well structured characters having real lives and real problems gives it a modern feel over. Mixing the young cast with a less friendly cousin of E.T also shows the brilliance of the films and takes another look at the idea of Humanity in the eyes of an Extra-terrestrial. It retains the child like innocence of a family film and at the same time gives a darker overtone for an older audience making it a great watch for all ages and a film that could be a spark in the style of the classics Spielberg B-movies.
8 / 10
FIN.
Comments
Post a Comment