Reviews

So this movie is an interesting take on the corruption of military contractors and how corporate PR works in favor. It is sort of a thriller with something of a leftist political backdrop in terms of the plot. It definitely isn't a hollywood blockbuster and obviously had a limited budget but the director does a good job getting the story to progress and involving a cast of interesting characters.

More time could have been spent fleshing out the political scenarios and telling the backstory of the Redistributors. Their hacktivism wasn't particularly realistic in terms of its goals or attempts but the intention to portray them as a positive force fighting against corporate malfeasance was there. But I've seen much worse portrayals by almost every other big budget hollywood movie so I give some credit to at least portray them as humans. Attempting to tell a spy story and thriller on the other hand this movie isn't particularly realistic but the plot is adequate. Overall though this is a good effort for a first-time director without a hollywood budget and the cinematography and directing worked for me.

I was amazed by this short film because it was one of the best technical uses of 360 degree video and was shot in edited in such a way that you couldn't see where the camera was. This was combined with an intimate view of a few different peoples lives. The VR aspect where you could observe tiny details or stare at both sides of the mirror made it feel more intimate than is possible for a typical film. I just felt that it was a groundbreaking use of the technology and done in a cinematic fashion. It is short but well done.

This film goes into narrative details regarding what happened in Ohio in 2004 where massive amounts of voters were disenfranchised by the way the elections were ran. This has been covered in other documentaries but this film dives deeper into the economic disparities and challenges that people face as they try to exercise their right to vote.

With the upcoming election in 2020 looking to have something similar happen throughout the country due to the pandemic with possible life or death consequences, I think that his documentary is even more important today. Check this out for a behind-the-scenes and first-hand look at how the electoral system plays out in modern America with people struggling to exercise their right to vote.

This film set in the 90s and shot entirely in Ohio by a independent director and crew does a great job of exploring the challenges we face growing up as teenagers and tangling with our various emotions and desires. It does feature star a trans-character but the message is universal and that isn't the primary crux of the story, just an aspect of the main character.

This also isn't a simplistic or moralistic story. It isn't predictable and all of the characters are nuanced. The acting is well done especially for a film shot with minimal budget. The story is interesting and the pacing pulls you along while also featuring interesting cinematography highlighting the decay of rural Ohio. Worth a watch if you are looking for something different.