Roulette (2016)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Mike Baldwin, Will Haza, Ali Lukowski
Directed by Erik Kristopher Myers
If you’re feeling down, depressed, or generally in somewhat of a crappy mood, then I most likely wouldn’t advise setting your eyes upon Erik Kristopher Myers’s Roulette, and this isn’t my overwhelmingly useless reviewer opinion taking over, but more of a forecast…further sadness may ensue.
The movie tracks the paths of three different individuals, all from varying walks of life, and each one has a specific interest in the game that they’re about to play. After a rousing group therapy session, the three decide it’s best to indulge in a little game of Russian Roulette..wait, I thought that therapy helped people? Boy, am I behind the times! Before we get rolling, allow me to introduce the three main fish in the barrel: we’ve got Dean (Baldwin), a man who had god-given talent in his hands, Richie (Haza) – a corporate suit who rues the day he got the shaft while in line for a promotion, and Sunny (Lukowski), a holier-than-thou type who questions her morals after getting knocked up out of wedlock. So, this happier-than-happy trio ventures into desperation mode, and feels that the best course of action is to cease their existences once and for all (like I said, not exactly the cheeriest of subject matter). As the movie progresses, we’ll learn in detail about each particular character’s ups and downs, and just how they’re connected in total – fairly interesting stuff.
While this film is loosely categorized as horror, this is strictly more of a thriller, with a backbone of character chapters that act as a driving force, and to say that it’s a little disheartening to learn so much about a character, only to see them at a point where they feel like no help is forthcoming, it’s a testament to one’s acting ability. All three of the leads here give fantastic performances, which only throws more of a spotlight onto those who support them, and the auxiliary portrayals were quite exceptional as well. All in all, Roulette being a film that was filmed back in 2012, more than keeps its balance here in ’16 and should be watched by those who like a thriller doubling as a cautionary tale, however if you get too hung up on the emotional front, you’ll be sullen and dejected within the first 30 minutes or so. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but maybe my next review will be something cheery like cheerleader torture or a bus full of tourists getting slaughtered by a band of escaped lunatics…now that would make everyone smile, wouldn’t it?
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
