Directors: Powell Robinson, Patrick Robert Young
Notable Cast: Joey Millin, Madison West, Daniel Abraham
Stevens
When I found out that the directors of Bastard, a
film that I genuinely enjoyed, were directing a DIY road trip thriller on two
iPhones, I was already in. Say what you will, but a good gimmick is a good
fuckin’ gimmick. Even though the ‘shot on an iPhone’ angle was used in the
marketing for Unsane to an insane degree, the idea of an indie film shot on the
fly had me hook, line, and sinker. Threshold, which premiered to
relatively strong word of mouth on the festival circuit, even drew the
attention of Arrow Video, prompting them to give the film a rather impressive
Blu Ray release. Not too shabby for an indie thriller.
In the spirit of a shot on iPhones in 12 days on a road trip
indie thriller, Threshold is not necessarily the most riveting of films.
Limited budgets, time, and tech are always going to force a film toward
dramatic heft, performances, and creative outside of the box thinking and
that’s exactly what happens with this one. It’s a double-edged sword in its
approach, but for viewers with the right mindset, an artistic one that
understands the brilliance of what they aim to accomplish, Threshold
does deliver a dynamic tale about rekindled familial friendship, belief, and a
‘fuck it, we’re doing it live’ attitude. True to its indie spirit.
Although the basic plot would indicate a more horrific
approach, where a brother and sister travel across the country to seek a man
bonded to the sister through an evil cult ceremony, the film is far more
interested in the human connection between the two leads. Yes, it certainly
saves a lot of cash on production values to not show the events leading to this
cult ritual, but it also allows the film to address the real heart of its
script: belief. Not only is Threshold asking the brother character to
set aside past slights and learned behaviors to believe his sister - just for
one trip, but it’s asking the audience the same thing. Do you believe? Would
you believe? While the entire gaslighting angle is not original, Threshold
handles it with a realism that strikes a chord with its characters. The
performances are impressively strong, although the script asks for a lot more
from Madison West who portrays the sister, and when the film is addressing its
active plot elements, it moves swiftly in its execution.
Granted, Threshold takes a few detours - as do all
road trips, right? It’s when these detours occur that the film meanders and
loses its brisk pace, feeling sluggish. Long takes of their discussions, often
shot in a ‘fly on the wall’ manner, feel realistic and natural, but also run
long and pull the pacing back. One of the more intriguing side stops, where the
brother and sister duo are confronted by a drunk man in a house they’ve rented
for the evening, is the tensest and thrilling sequence of the film - yet,
doesn’t necessarily add to the overarching plot beyond some character
development and one key moment. It’s a fascinating approach to the road trip
movie, one where it actively avoids feeling like a series of vignettes. When
they do step aside though, it does feel slightly out of place.
Threshold immediately carries that cult classic
status with it. It’s not all that shocking that Arrow Video picked up honestly
and its gimmicks behind the scenes make for one of those great word of mouth
movies. The film leans into its indie tones, playing with pacing and narrative
in ways that aim for the moon even if they don’t always land, and where it ends
up is fantastic - ending on a tonal beat that’s poignant for its themes and
messages. Threshold might not be the most exciting film, but it’s one
that owns its quirks and effectively lays them out for its viewers.
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