Review: ‘Echo Boomers’ pushes all the boundaries.

Two-time Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon (Knives Out) stars in this gripping crime-thriller filled with pulse-pounding twists and turns. A recent college graduate Lance Zutterland (Patrick Schwarzenegger) leaves school in debt, realizing everything he had worked towards was built on a lie. When he is pulled into a criminal underground operation, he finds his peers fighting the system by stealing from the rich and giving to… themselves. With nothing to lose, they leave behind a trail of destruction but with the cops closing in, tensions mount and Lance soon discovers he is in over his head with no way out.

With superb writing and slick editing, Echo Boomers is intoxicating. With Patrick Schwarzenegger’s voice-over narration the flow feels like a novel, and I do mean that as a compliment. This could easily be further developed into a long-running series. There is a lot to unpack in all the right ways. There’s a psychological subtext to each character that is carefully crafted. The cinematography is sharp, combined with the immersive score, you cannot help but love this crew.

Michael Shannon does what Michael Shannon does best. He lives and breathes every role. He is somehow terrifying and more approachable all at once. Patrick Schwarzenegger is amazing. He grabbed my attention in last year’s Daniel Isn’t Real. I recommend casting him in everything he has time for. He has the innate ability to connect with his castmates on a truly grounded level. He is comfortable in his own skin. You feel like you know him. He is undeniably magnetic. The nuanced dynamics in the screenplay let everyone have impactful moments. You can easily argue this is a true ensemble piece.

I cannot stress enough how fantastic the writing and directing is. This could have gone off the rails in a heartbeat or come off as an Ocean’s franchise ripoff but it holds its own and then some. It’s wildly entertaining. There’s something about Echo Boomers that makes it unique from any other film in 2020. It’s brimming with complexity, action, drama, suspense, and some unbelievable performances. The stakes keep getting higher and higher and even though you know it’s morally reprehensible, you’re all in. You can watch Echo Boomers now in Theaters, On Demand, and Digital from Saban Films.

ECHO BOOMERS stars Patrick Schwarzenegger (Daniel Isn’t Real, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse), Gilles Geary (“The I-Land”), Hayley Law (“Riverdale,” “Altered Carbon”), Jacob Alexander (I Don’t Know How She Does It), Oliver Cooper (Project X), Kate Linder (“The Young and the Restless”), Lesley Ann Warren (“In Plain Sight,” Victor Victoria), Alex Pettyfer (The Last Witness, I Am Number Four), and Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals, 99 Homes).  The film is directed by Seth Savoy (“Blood Brothers”) from a script by Kevin Bernhardt (Shiner, Peaceful Warrior), Jason Miller (“The Whisperers”) and Savoy.

One Night Only ‘Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse’ Ultimate Fan Experience in Select Cities

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Paramount Pictures, AMC Theatres and Dillon Francis are offering moviegoers in the U.S. a one-night-only Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse Ultimate Fan Experience with an advance screening of the film as well as exclusive music and a special visual show from Dillon Francis for the regular price of admission. The visual experience blends the bold graphics of creative powerhouse Pizzaslime and Dillon Francis, short form video content from Dillon Francis’ zombie alter ego “Dead Dillon,” scenes from the film and original music from Dillon Francis.

The event will take place in select AMC Theatres locations across the U.S. on Wednesday, October 28th at 7:00 p.m. Ticket holders will also receive a commemorative t-shirt.

In New York City, ticket holders attending the Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse Ultimate Fan Experience at the AMC Loews 19th St. East 6 theater will receive admittance to an exclusive, off-site after party event featuring a performance by Dead Dillon following the screening.

Tickets are available for purchase now at participating theater box offices and online at

www.ScoutsAndZombiesMovie.com/ultimatefanexperience

DJ/Producer/Artist Dillon Francis, who makes a cameo in the film, released his debut album “Money Sucks, Friends Rule” last year. Featuring standout track “Get Low,” the album was named one of Rolling Stone’s Top Electronic Albums of 2014. His latest release “This Mixtape is Fire,” which sees Dillon Francis return to his Moombahton roots, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic chart, fueled by collaborations with Calvin Harris, Skrillex, Chromeo and more. Having played shows and festivals in the UK, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, France, Australia and more, Dillon Francis is continuing to make a name for himself as one of the most influential players in electronic music.

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse follows three scouts and lifelong friends who join forces with one badass cocktail waitress to become the world’s most unlikely team of heroes. When their peaceful town is ravaged by a zombie invasion, they’ll fight for the badge of a lifetime and put their scouting skills to the test to save mankind from the undead. Starring Tye Sheridan, David Koechner, Cloris Leachman¸ Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont and Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Produced by Todd Garner and Andy Fickman. Story by Carrie Evans & Emi Mochizuki and Lona Williams, with a screenplay by Carrie Evans & Emi Mochizuki and Christopher Landon. Directed by Christopher Landon.

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse opens in theaters on October 30th, 2015.