The Overlook Film Festival 2023 review: ‘ACCUSED’ is a socially relevant heart-stopper.

ACCUSED

Online trolls, xenophobia, and misinformation, Philip Barantini‘s ACCUSED at Overlook Film Festival could not be more relevant and terrifying. Thanks to the internet, Harri finds himself wrongly identified as a terrorist. After two men track him down, Harri must fight for his life and reputation. This intense thriller is a bone-chilling must-see.

Chaneil Kular plays Harri with palpable anxiety and exceptional nuance. He carries the entire plot like a star. The script gives Kular less dialogue than an average feature, and because of that, his performance relies on meticulous physicality and facial expressions. Kular’s chemistry with co-star Flynn, Harri’s dog, is glorious.

The film raises global questions about privacy, citizen detectives, and hateful rhetoric. We live our lives online these days. It is easy to find out where someone works, thanks to Linkedin. You can find their home address if they own property. That information is in the public record. But we provide all that with photos and comments we leave on social media, even tagging our location in real-time. We make ourselves targets every day. It also speaks to police response. The film skillfully addresses the lack of urgency we’ve all seen displayed in numerous documentaries and news stories.

ACCUSED simultaneously becomes an invasion thriller. The cinematography is sharp, taking full advantage of blue light from laptops and smartphone screens and moonlight peering through sheer curtains as Harri moves silently about his parents’ estate home. The sparse score works to intensify the plot. We fear the silence as much as Harri. The use of technology becomes a double-edged sword in the film. Harri utilizes security cameras and blue tooth to evade the men in his house.

Screenwriters Barnaby Boulton and  James Cummings have given audiences a masterfully written film that transcends genre. Packed with twists and turns and a mesmerizing performance from Chaneil Kular, it is a heart-pounding viewing experience. It is a wow.


Director: Philip Barantini
Writers: Barnaby Boulton, James Cummings
Starring: Chaneil Kular, Lauryn Ajufo
Producers: Edward Caffrey, Samantha Beddoe, Rupert Preston, Sara Sehdev
Runtime: 88 Minutes
Synopsis: Alone at a remote country house, a young man (Chaneil Kular, Sex Education) watches helplessly as a social media frenzy wrongly identifies him as a wanted terrorist. When online threats lead to an IRL home invasion, he must fight for his life in this tense thriller of virtual witch-hunts and false accusations.

Overlook 2023 Film Festival Screening Info:
– Friday, March 31st at 7:45 PM @ Canal Place Theater 2
– Sunday, April 2nd at 2:30 PM @ Canal Place Theater 9


 

‘TRUE STORY’ stars James Franco and Jonah Hill in roles you never saw coming.

True StoryPosterThe mind is a dangerous place. Power is a dangerous thing. Manipulation is a dangerous game. Fame is a monster. Infamy is forever. TRUE STORY, based on real life events, is the story of former New York Times writer, Mike Finkel. Once highly regarded for gutsy journalism, his choice to fabricate pieces of one story come crashing down on him. Let go from the NYT, he moves back to middle America with his lonely and tremendously supportive wife. Soon after his return, Mike receives a phone call about a man who, when arrested for the murder of his family, claimed to be the NYT reporter, Michael Finkel. Naturally intrigued, he sets up a meeting with now inmate, Christian Longo. Armed with only his wits and a notepad, Finkel agrees to tell Longo’s story, that is, if he can get it.

TrueStoryJonahHillJamesFranco

The question in this film is who’s playing whom? The manipulation of both men walk a razor thin line throughout. Jonah Hill is excellent as Finkel. Thoughtful, gentle, needing to understand why Longo acts as he does. James Franco is downright frightening in this role. The roller coaster ride of this character’s journey is plain to see, with engrossing effort on Franco’s part. These two duel it out in each scene, many times with nothing but eye contact that speaks 1000 words where there are none. This is some serious acting going on here. We all know Hill is perfectly capable of this level of intensity with Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street under his belt. Franco, while  I am a huge fan already, really knocks it out of the park as Longo. As an audience member, he is likable and seemingly sincere, all while having an undercurrent of potential sociopath. The way these two play off one another is movie magic. I really think it would be a shame to ignore these performances come awards season.

TrueStoryFelicityJones

Felicity Jones plays Finkel’s wife, Jill, with huge range, as usual on her part. She is vulnerable yet strong, as a woman stuck between a healthy marriage and the ambition of a husband hungry to rebuild his name. Once again, it’s the quiet moments that are some of the most frightening for her. Left alone in the house with remnants of Longo’s drawings and writings, she is visually confronted by his enigmatic musings that are wholly unsettling to stare at. This film is perfectly timed in its release with the popularity of The Jinx and the wildly successful podcast Serial. If you are a fan of either (which, frankly, you should be) True Story will be right up your alley.

TrueStoryJonahHill

Bottom line, TRUE STORY will chill you to your bone. It will give you pause. The film is so profoundly menacing because it is based on actual events. That creepy crawly feeling under your skin lasts long after you’ve exited the theater. The question still remains; “Who do you believe?”

TRUE STORY is now available on VOD and comes to theaters Friday, April 10th.

SYNOPSIS: When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo—who has taken on Finkel’s identity—his reporting job morphs into an unforgettable game of cat and mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel’s relentless pursuit of Longo’s true story encompasses murder, love, deceit, and redemption.

Cast:
Jonah Hill
James Franco
Felicity Jones
Robert John Burke
Ethan Suplee
Gretchen Mol