Review: ‘Shot’… A Roller Coaster of Emotions

Shot

Theatrical Release: September 22, 2017

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

A gripping drama about three lives irrevocably changed when a gun is accidentally fired on a busy Los Angeles street, Shot is a visceral roller coaster ride unflinchingly exploring the consequences of gun violence in America.

Shot begins as sound mixer Mark Newman (Noah Wyle), is pumping up the volume on a bloody shootout scene in an action film. Hours later, after an argument with his wife Phoebe (Sharon Leal), Mark is suddenly felled by a real random bullet, and lies bleeding on the pavement with a chest wound. With Phoebe desperately trying to stop the bleeding, they both agonizingly wait for an ambulance to arrive as Mark fights for his life. Meanwhile, hidden behind a fence across the street, a teenager, Miguel (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), watches in horror with the still smoking gun in his hand. A gun that was just handed to him by his cousin and meant to protect him against gang bullies.

From the moment the shot rings out, Jeremy Kagan’s camera in real time daringly follows Mark from the street, to stretcher, to gurney, to examining table, as we watch the paramedics and medical teams in full life-saving mode. Through the imaginative use of split-screen, Kagan juxtaposes Mark’s medical crisis with Miguel’s moral one, as we simultaneously see the frightened young man wrestle with the fact that an innocent man was injured – or worse – as a direct result of his actions.

Shot takes an approach that we haven’t seen before by following the lives of three people after a shooting happens. From smoking gun to rehab. The struggles vary between each individual. Whether it be the victim, friend/family to the victim, or the shooter. A very eye opening hour and a half about how dangerous guns are and how, at any moment, your life could change forever. It goes without saying that Noah Wyle is a great actor and doesn’t let you down in Shot. Co-stars Sharon Leal and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. are no amateurs either. This cast was put together very well. We like how Shot did a lot of scenes in split screen showing how Mark and Miguel’s lives were being impacted. Jeremy Kagan did an amazing job with these angles and the detail that went into every “shot.” There were some scenes that could have been shortened or weren’t even needed, but overall the movie got its point across. Shot is a roller coaster of emotions and it certainly took us along for the ride. This is a movie that you can wait to view at home instead of spending the time/money to see it in theaters, but it’s definitely worth the watch.

*Guns kill 90 US citizens and hospitalize 200 EVERY DAY. Go to www.shotmovie.org to take action towards ending gun violence.”

Reel ROB Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review for them!

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