Please note that only capsule reviews are authorized for this title until its theatrical release.
Jamie M. Dagg's somewhat xenophobic situational thriller, River, is a missed opportunity. The premise holds some promise: John (Rossif Sutherland), an American volunteer in Laos, finds himself on the run from local law enforcement when he inadvertently kills an Australian douchebag after interrupting a sexual assault. Sadly, it never really goes anywhere beyond this.
While the decision to make John's situation relatively believable (he's an average guy without any notable skill sets outside of a hospital) is admirable, the lack of characterization (John is generically nice and means well) makes it hard to invest in his plight. Since we never learn much about him outside of an infuriatingly implausible moralistic decision towards the end, there's no natural logic or nuance in his decisions. Similarly, since the direction is mostly loose and handheld, there's virtually no tension in the many surmounting situations. River is merely a functional film that never really says anything substantive.
(Elevation Pictures)Jamie M. Dagg's somewhat xenophobic situational thriller, River, is a missed opportunity. The premise holds some promise: John (Rossif Sutherland), an American volunteer in Laos, finds himself on the run from local law enforcement when he inadvertently kills an Australian douchebag after interrupting a sexual assault. Sadly, it never really goes anywhere beyond this.
While the decision to make John's situation relatively believable (he's an average guy without any notable skill sets outside of a hospital) is admirable, the lack of characterization (John is generically nice and means well) makes it hard to invest in his plight. Since we never learn much about him outside of an infuriatingly implausible moralistic decision towards the end, there's no natural logic or nuance in his decisions. Similarly, since the direction is mostly loose and handheld, there's virtually no tension in the many surmounting situations. River is merely a functional film that never really says anything substantive.