DAY BY DAY // A FILM REVIEW OF "DISRUPTED"
The search for the truth, no matter the consequences, leads many characters through film after film. From dramas to comedies, this plotline is a sure-fire way to connect the audience with the pain of the character on screen. Much of DISRUPTED plays to that strength through the journey of Pete (Ron Kaell). He's a recovering alcoholic and fairly recent parolee trying to get his life together. He works long hours, attends meetings in a dark basement and keeps trying to put one foot in front of another. A recent headline does catch his attention: a string of deaths in the area where the victim was beat to death. He doesn't think too much of it until a local cop who knows Pete lets him know that the suspect might be the same person who killed his wife years ago.
The suspect, unknown to both of them, is Harry Price, a real estate bigwig who has a beautiful home and a beautiful wife. After dropping his credit card at a gas station near his home (and shortly before he beats a man to death with a pair of brass knuckles), he starts to find charges on that card. Instead of reporting it, he accepts the charges, wanting to find the person himself. He's a sociopath who seems to get a kick off of other people's pain. Trying to find out who the person is, he beats a kind gas station attendant to death before taking the footage from that evening himself. A third plotline introduces a ride share driver named Jay (Chioke Jelani Clanton) who, along with his friend Prez (Ahku) find marks that they can rob. Their target this night is Pete and their future, along with the future of Harry Price, are all about to come crashing together in the most violent of ways.
Writer/Director Andre Welsh has crafted a sharp looking crime thriller with some strong lead performances. As our local psychopath, Geoffrey Lower is an intense figure. He's mild energy is unsettling, as if not even a murder can get him to lose his cool, and he's an terrifying force to watch. Ron Kaell turns in a sympathetic performance as a man in pain, just trying to put his life together. He's a bit less convincing as an action hero, but he's solid nonetheless. Chioke Jelani Clanton and Ahku's storylines are very important to the plot but also feel a bit too much like they are there simply as a device for Pete. However, they are both charming and liven up the screen in the final act. It's a slow moving plot, preferring to build tension rather than have action splattered throughout and for the most part it works. The ending doesn't land sadly, and I do wish the filmmaker would have crafted a less predictable end. That being said, DISRUPTED is still quite enjoyable, and is a refreshingly well-made indie thriller.
GRADE: B
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Andre Welsh STARRING Geoffrey Lower, Ron Kaell, Marie Wilson, Chioke Jelani Clanton, Ahku, Drew Seeley. Opens on Nov. 17th in Digital Cinemas everywhere.