Photo courtesy of MPI Media
Before the Fire
Post-apocalypse America, bizarre murder schemes, a great indie film from West Africa and a look back at Clint Eastwood are among this week’s releases.
Before the Fire (MPI Media)
Get this: Before the Fire, an indie film about an unknown virus that rapidly overtakes the world, was set for theatrical release in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 threat became fully apparent. Out now on Blu-ray, Before the Fire stars Jenna Lyng Adams as Ava, a TV star forced to return to her rural hometown as LA descends into chaos (and worse than usual traffic jams). But she finds no peace. The media drone of bad news is realistic, as are the fever checks and the militias. Consider ourselves fortunate that the movie’s unnamed virus is deadlier than COVID—and that we’re not trapped in Ava’s grimly violent world as she learns to survive the survivalists. (David Luhrssen)
Play Misty for Me (Kino Lorber)
Thanks to this 1971 film, “Play ‘Misty’ for me” became a catch phrase describing romantic-sexual obsession. The Clint Eastwood-directed production was the forerunner of Fatal Attraction but also of Stephen King’s Misery for its depiction of a fan who wants to own her hero. Its stalking message resonates today. Eastwood stars as Dave Garver, a late-night jazz DJ pursued by the maniacal Evelyn (Jessica Walter). It was the sexually forthright ‘70s and Garver initially encourages the stranger—to his regret. Although Eastwood is a jazz buff in real life, he seems a bit forced as a hipster. His stone-cold cool looks better on horseback than reciting verse while spinning vinyl. Steve McQueen might have been a better fit. (David Luhrssen)
Possessor Uncut (Streaming Nov. 3 on Video OnDemand)
Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) is an elite, corporate assassin. Aided by technology, she possesses and controls a host’s brain. She makes him kill her target, before forcing the host to kill himself. It’s a gainful scheme until Tasya takes over the mind of Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott), because he has access to her latest hit (a CEO portrayed by Sean Bean). But Colin manages to rebel against Tasya’s commands, leaving the killer and her handler (Jennifer Jason Leigh), compromised. Writer/director Brandon Cronenberg stirs science-fiction with horror, echoing the sensibilities of his famous director father, David Cronenberg. (Lisa Miller)
Scam République (IndiePix Films)
Shot on a low budget in Cameroon by Ken Ngwa and crew, Scam République (2018) boasts a cast confident in their roles, good editing and camera work, a strong eye for composition and superb use of local music to reinforce a sense of place. Scam République fulfills expectations of a good indie film by casting light on a subject unknown to Hollywood. The story concerns college kids drawn into an internet crime ring stealing credit card numbers and identities across the worldwide web. Sympathy comes from the protagonist’s need to pay his mother’s medical bills. The blood-covered man staggering through a truck park in the opening scene signals that this internet venture isn’t located in Silicon Valley. (David Luhrssen)
Triggered (Streaming Nov. 6, on FandangoNOW and AppleTV)
Nine young friends, all harboring a secret, go camping in the woods. They awaken to find suicide bombs strapped to their chests—each bomb reading a different quantity of remaining time on its countdown clock. Stranded miles from nowhere, they attempt to disarm the bombs. After the reason for their predicament becomes clear, the group discovers that killing another bomb-wearer gifts the killer with that person’s time. Despite an explosive barrage of gore, critics loudly applaud the fast-paced, coherent action. (Lisa Miller)
