Beyond the Bridge (2016)
Starring Maya Schenk, Thomas Koch, Eleanor Buechler
Directed by Daniel P. Schenk
Director Daniel P. Schenk steps to the plate with his first full-length feature film, Beyond The Bridge – and with a hearty swing for the fences…a solid fly to the warning track is the result. Not exactly bone-crushing in nature, but definitely something to build upon for the future.
The stunning Maya Schenk plays Marla, an art student who after a couple of years overseas, has decided to return to her childhood home and sell it off after her parents were killed in a tragic accident, but what better way to send the old homestead off into the sunset than with a drug-riddled farewell fiesta? Well, our darling Marla has seemed to have fallen under the spell of a dangerous hallucinogenic pharmaceutical (by accident, I’m sure), and the images that she endures as a result are quite terrifying to say the least. With an otherworldly blend to both her conscious and subconscious, she begins to live out nightmares in the most routine of ways…aah, the beauty of decimating one’s mind with pills! Over the next quintet of nights, Marla experiences numerous instances that will rattle her psyche, and look for help from former employees, friends, and love interests (everybody’s got secrets about this family).
Schenk is not only easy on the eyes, but she more than holds her ground in the acting department, delivering a performance that is believable and straight-up entertaining to watch. The imagery does contain the stuff of nightmares, and while you won’t be plagued with jump-scares, it’s the surrounding sense of being trapped in an altered mind that works so well. Unfortunately, now I’ve got to play Grim Reaper to this little soiree, and it comes in the form of the movie’s length. At an hour and 48 minutes, there could have easily been 30 minutes shaved off of this timeframe, resulting in less stagnant dialogue. Also the look and feel of the film really displays the budget, and not that I’m taking a dump on anyone’s project, but some just have that look of bargain-basement production, and even for a first-time full-feature director, it can hurt. Nonetheless, Daniel Schenk rolls out a nice story, gets a slam-bang performance from his leading lady, and forms a strong foundation for what should be a promising career – now if we can just get him a bit bigger allocation, the sky could be the limit.
-
Film
Categorized:Reviews
