Rating: C+
Dir: George Threadgold
Star: Julian Gamm, Hannah Al Rashid, Andrew Rolfe, Noa Bodner
Not gonna lie, when I first heard about a spy film with this title, I thought it was The Asylum’s mockbuster version of Black Doves. That is not the case. Indeed, the idea dates back to 2019, originating in Threadgold’s web series of the same name. It appears to have been reconfigured into a feature, and allowing for the limited resources, did a decent job of holding my attention. It focuses on JD (Gamm), a lifetime operative for the shadowy group of the title, who uncovers some very disturbing information about the organization. He consequently decides to burn it all down, assassinating everyone he knows to be associated with White Crow. They’re not happy about this, naturally.
After getting stabbed by one killer sent after him, and collapsing in a public bathroom, JD is rescued by Emma (Al Rashid). When a further attempt on his life is made, the pair go on the run. They eventually become part of an alliance which includes a YouTube conspiracy buff and a rogue Mossad agent (Bodner), discovering the plot is bigger than it seems. Meanwhile, his former boss, Charles Mason (Rolfe), is leading the group tasked with shutting down JD, by any means necessary. He captures Emma, seeking to use her as leverage against his former employee. Except, JD might have obtained some leverage of his own, leading to a final confrontation at that most beloved of low-budget British film/TV locations – a gravel pit.
There’s no getting around the micro-budget here. This is not Mission: Impossible, although the basics are solid, with decent photography and audio. The limited resources show up in things like an amusingly cautious battle between JD and another assassin in Emma’s flat. It’s clear the makers have been sternly warned against causing damage to the location. I found this more endearing than anything. It does also lean to the chatty, especially at the ending where Mason and JD yell at each other for what feels like 20 minutes, but probably isn’t. I did wonder why Mason didn’t use the sonic control device there, which had been effective against JD in an earlier scene. Maybe its batteries had run out.
The performances are decent. Gamm plays like a discount version of Kit Harington, while Rolfe has a nice turn as the government bureaucrat, onto whom all the shit is rolling downhill. But it’s probably Al Rashid who is the best of the cast. Her role is key, giving the potentially confusing plot an anchor, to which the audience can hold on. She is effectively our surrogate, and is likable and plausible, dealing with events well outside of her experience. In the lo-fi approach to conspiracy, it feels a little like TV series Utopia, depicting things at a personal, rather than global, level. If you can accept the small-scale approach, you may find yourself reaching the open ending, and curious about where things will go. I know I was.
The film is currently available to stream on Plex. Other services should follow.