Film reviews

The Last Breath Review

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Kim Spearman in The Last Breath

What is more detrimental? Limits on oxygen levels? Sharks? Two sharks or more? The Last Breath brings terror to the depth where survival is critical. The film is directed by Joachim Hedén is known in his directing to depict perilous diving expeditions. With his recent project, The Dive (released in 2023), he introduces new aspects of fear.

The discovery of a historic finding is what makes The Last Breath unique. With the center of the action taking place arounda WWII battleship, there are many paths to choose or opportunities to become direction-turned. The Last Breath has that expedition factor of hitting unexpected blocks when exploring the unexplored. When the divers go below, the views of the water and the battleship are stunning, however it is the writing that conveys that this is not a friendly environment for a new adventure.

The film introduces us to Levi (played by Julian Sands) and Noah (played by Jack Parr). They both are divers and recruit a group of friends to go on a diving trip. The exhibit is the sunkenU.S.S. Charlotte. The other friends are Brett (played by Alexander Arnold), Logan (played by Arlo Carter), Sam (played by Kim Spearman), Riley (played by Erin Mullen), and Brian (played by Maxime Durand). This diving trip is an extraordinary one for the group. Once they enter the ship, there are many spaces and places to explore. That is until white sharks swim rapidly in and around everyone. As the title hints, having the ability to breathe is the key to making it out alive in The Last Breath.

The sense of trepidation and dread is felt with the limitations of oxygen. Noah reminds the gang frequently about their percentage levels in the oxygen tanks. That had me thinking back and forth about the chances of survival with the gang. Time, stress, and breathing intensity decrease the viability of the oxygen tanks. The usage of resources hitting their plateaus sold me on this gripping storyline with The Last Breath. I asked myself questions. Who is likely to have more air? Who is to think logistically for safety? Who has a chance of making it out with resources hitting limitations? There are also ones about sharks. How can the divers think clearly when  sharks are squirming everywhere? What are the weaknesses of sharks? A WWII battleship becomes the scene of an underwater survival match of sharks and minnows in The Last Breath.

The sense of going deeper creates dangerous possibilities in The Last Breath. The presentation of water is in cinematic mode. The lighting (before and during the peril) immerses its audience in the feeling of being in the trenches with the divers. It leaves the viewer with no limits on thinking and if there is a point-of-return or not for these men.  The vibe of scarcity is pervasive and engaging.

There are components around safe diving in The Last Breath that hold a place of importance. The divers stick together to ensure safety to prevent injuries or death. Many dive films care about finding a terror trap and have their divers fall right into it. The Last Breath does not do that. The difference is The Last Breath provides angles to create a thinking pattern within the suspense for its audience. Predictability finds itself blurred in The Last Breath. It is a direction of peril with many moving parts in the sense of Tetris. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

Crumb Catcher Review

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John Speredakos in Crumb Catcher (Obscured Pictures)

There is meaning to the film’s title. There are moving parts with precise contrast. Crumb Catcher is a unique gem. Crumb Catcher is a thriller of angles with wrong choices and consequences. Written and directed by Chris Skotchdopole, Crumb Catcher is his debut project. From the mind of his direction, I felt that personality and clashing bring in a natural gift for suspenseful turmoil. A couple just married with a whirlwind of mental challenges. The “mental challenges” only become more exasperating.

Ella Rae Peck and Rigo Gary in Crumb Catcher (Obscured Pictures)

The film gears on a couple, Shane (played by Rigo Garay) and Leah (played by Ella Rae Peck). They are just married. The tensions boil at the starting point of the film. Shane is a writer facing delays in finishing a book. Leah tries to encourage Shane to finish what he has been working on. For their honeymoon, they stay in a home that is the Executive Editor of Shane’s upcoming publication. It is not the honeymoon that Shane and Leah were hoping for. With oddball characters questioning (at their wedding venue), the anxiety of frustration grows fearlessly in Crumb Catcher.

The time of life-threatening moments begins to shatter truthfully. Once Shane and Leah make it to the home for their honeymoon, the writing keeps its flow of anger floating. Shane and Leah continue to not be on the same page as they embark on their journey together. Shane receives a text saying, “We need to talk about last night.” That message should not go unanswered. That is because the message contains evidence that can threaten Shane’s life. Shane assumes that the message can blow over. It is not as easy as Shane expects.

The film gradually keeps getting stressful and invigorating. The honeymoon house is the house of unexpected dangers for Shane and Leah. The tables turn rapidly in Crumb Catcher. An odd one named John (played by John Speredakos) shows up at the house. He shows up trying to promote his product. He is persistent. Shane and Leah are aggravated and tormented. They do what they can to get John to leave. John keeps insisting he shows them what he is marketing. Then Rose (played by Lorraine Farris) shows up with John. Rose has a dark secret that can ruin Shane’s life. Shane and Leah find themselves forced to try to play along with the odd couple’s cat-and-mouse game of a blackmail scheme. It is all centered around an item…” crumb catcher.” It is a handheld broom for cleaning crumbs off surfaces.

With two couples in an aggravating situation, it is like a narcissistic couple vs. an evolving couple in Crumb Catcher. John and Rose are in the first category, and Shane and Leah are in the second category. John and Rose are the ones who are just trying to be demeaning to make a profit. Shane and Leah are newly married and working out delayed conflicts. With this, both groups have something to lose. The question is, which couple knows moving parts for survival better? Which couple will make it out for success? Will it be John and Rose with their silly cleaning product? Will it be Shane and Leah with Shane’s new book to be published? The brilliance of Crumb Catcher is its focus on success (trying to be achieved) with pressure among clashing couples.

The innovative order of extortion is what fascinated my perception of Crumb Catcher. It is a bold project that explores the genres of comedy, drama, and thriller with mind-boggling misdirections of cleverness. The joy of the bizarre characters with unsettling circumstances is enthralling to new adventures. Quirky continuously, but with class for genius in writing and unexpected shock value. The mind of Skotchdopole is a revelation with Crumb Catcher. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Twisters Review

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I find movies that focus on weather and peril fascinating. I went into Twisters with great expectations. Given the tornado-related events requiring taking shelter just days before the movie’s opening, I felt pumped. With tornadoes forming around the U.S. and weather watchers on high alert, I thought a rollercoaster of amusement was in store. Unfortunately, Twisters was an adventure that consistently loses its focus. The selling part of the film is that it stars Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Powell is rising with blockbuster projects, and Edgar-Jones is tackling more roles. Their characters are involved in a “twister” of madness.

The setting of Twisters is Oklahoma. This location is a tornado alley and provides the landscape for the film’s tension of treacherous territory. Powell plays Tyler Owens, a man with a following for broadcasting his journeys with storms and tornadoes. Edgar Jones plays Kate Carter, a former tornado-chaser and meteorologist. Kate’s colleague is Javi, played by Anthony Ramos, who develops a safety network. The season of tornadoes is immersive and evolving rapidly. The group comes together to figure out how to pan out the storm correctly. With differing opinions on the storms’ danger levels, the thrills lack the fulfillment that the audience anticipates.

Twisters tends to keep the focus on the performances of Powell and Edgar-Jones. Powell’s performance is street-smart while Edgar-Jones’s is book-smart. She plays her part with more seriousness than Powell does. With Powell driving a truck with fireworks, he is sort of like the Tom Cruise of storm chasing in Twisters. This leads to pure mediocrity in what could have been a more interesting portrayal. The pro side is that Edgar-Jones’s role serves a more rewarding purpose. The intelligence of her performance sparks some much-needed enthusiasm.

While reflecting upon the differences between the characters, my mind frequently drifted. What is the intent of the overused cool vibes in Powell’s performance? How is it beneficial to focus on tornado perils? Why does the film keep trying to tackle a bizarre dynamic as Oklahoma faces more severe consequences as the setting of the film? Twisters appears to care a lot more about its blockbuster characterizations than the plot itself.

The blurred continuity comes from a storyline with a mission that lacks structure. There is an inconsistent dynamic mixed with a bipolar weather rendezvous. What helps make up for some of the catastrophe is the background fundamentals regarding resources. Twisters does highlight the importance of safety and shelter. It is just not particularly vibrant in its presentation. Twisters is a rushed thriller with disconnected components. The meaning is somewhat lost amid various tactics involving weather, storms, and science which are ultimately inadequate.

The storms heighten the disasters in Twisters. Frustratingly, they are disappointing, even when they cause significant turmoil. Once that happens, the focus seems to shift to storm party mode for Powell. Edgar-Jones deserved a lot better for her key role in Twisters. The continuity just kept running into ineffective barriers. I rate Twisters just two out of four stars.

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