Rating: C-
Dir: Richard Friedman
Star: Augie Duke, Vince Lozano, Ayden Lozano, Delilah Andre
There’s an interesting idea in here, but the film doesn’t seem to know how to get it out. We have a serial killer, Hank (V. Lozano), on a quest for religious vengeance on sinners in Las Vegas: no shortage of candidates there. And his latest victim is Shannon (Duke), a woman whom he abducted in the parking lot of a convenience store. Except, she is going through a brutal legal battle with her ex (Andre), over the custody of their son, Albert (A. Lozano), and just received some devastating news. She therefore really does not give a fuck any more. Oh, and her Catholic school upbringing gives her the scriptural knowledge to take on any lunatic Bible basher in a theological argument.
Unfortunately, what we get here is not really this. For example, I like the idea of a victim who doesn’t care what happens to her. However, that angle lasts only until Hank realizes how much Shannon cares about Alby, and can use it as leverage against her. Similarly, there is not much actual debate between them, least of all of a religious nature. They both get to deliver long speeches, and the performances are generally good enough to sustain an adequate amount of interest. But it feels like the pair are talking past each other, rather than to each other. Since the film mostly consists of Hank driving Shannon around in his car, it makes for heavy going.
Friedman does well enough, shooting things in a way that the limited range of locations don’t become too obvious. And as mentioned, both lead actors do their part. It’s the script which is the biggest problem. We are over twenty minutes in before Shannon is abducted, during which time we get a series of phone calls between her and her mother, lawyer and ex. Surely better ways could have been found to tell us the necessary information? Oh, and she’s a lesbian, because 2025. Then there’s the twist at the ending, which… Well, if you felt it rendered the entire movie a waste of time, I wouldn’t agree – yet I wouldn’t argue with you either. It conveniently allows anything to happen, another indicator of sloppy writing.
Before we quite reach the twist, things are already devolving into standard – and, thus, less interesting – territory. Hank takes Shannon to his sanctuary, which is naturally a disused church. The reason for this is unclear, because previous victims were killed in their motel room (top). If an explanation for the change in venue was offered, I must have missed it. We are now instead more or less in a normal slasher, with Shannon desperately trying to free herself before her abductor can finish her off. Considering where this might have gone, it feels disappointingly familiar, despite the subsequent diversion into mentally unstable territory. Can’t help feeling, the cast deserved better.
The film is available on Amazon and other streaming services now.