I follow movie news, and I catch a lot of trailers for movies that I will never actually see. But every once-and-a-while, one stands out from the crowd. Even though these films will never come through my area (the Central Valley of California is not a thriving independent cinema scene), I will hunt them down on VOD and make it my business to see them.
Henry Dunham's The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018) was one such film. I was captivated by the trailer, and followed the film's release. And when it dropped on various streaming platforms, I determined to watch it.
And here I am, killing time before WrestleMania. And there it is, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, available for rental on YouTube.
I. What Is It?
This is the story of a shooting at a police funeral, and the local militiamen worried it will get pinned on them, and the missing automatic rifle in their barracks guaranteeing that one of them did it. This is the story of an ex-cop who needs to figure out which of his fellows brutally murdered scores of police officers before the law descends on the militia's hideout and rains righteous fury on all of them.II. Lean and Mean
This movie is 88 minutes long. In that runtime, writer/director Henry Dunham tells a twisty, tense thriller that starts, and rarely lets its foot off the pedal, despite its claustrophobic setting.
There are no good guys or bad guys, here, either. Yes, our ensemble are all members of a militia. The are gun-toting parnoids. But they each have their own varied reasons and storied histories that Dunham peppers in throughout the film. What you walk away with is a sense that the film's moral spectrum is a muddied smear of greys. And that is far more fascinating than cartoonish redneck caricatures.
Sparrow Creek also shows what wonders can be accomplished on a shoestring budget. This film must have been made on a dime: there are no flashy effects, the costumes are simple but effective, and the action is confined largely to a single space. But it shows that a good movie doesn't need studio-fueled millions when you have some will, a killer ensemble, a dash of style, and a clever script.
There are no good guys or bad guys, here, either. Yes, our ensemble are all members of a militia. The are gun-toting parnoids. But they each have their own varied reasons and storied histories that Dunham peppers in throughout the film. What you walk away with is a sense that the film's moral spectrum is a muddied smear of greys. And that is far more fascinating than cartoonish redneck caricatures.
Sparrow Creek also shows what wonders can be accomplished on a shoestring budget. This film must have been made on a dime: there are no flashy effects, the costumes are simple but effective, and the action is confined largely to a single space. But it shows that a good movie doesn't need studio-fueled millions when you have some will, a killer ensemble, a dash of style, and a clever script.
III. Strong Ensemble
James Badge Dale runs away with the whole thing, providing a nuanced, committed performance as ex-policeman, Gannon. He is quiet, and assured.
But the rest of the ensemble isn't far behind him. The film is filled to the brim with confident, grounded performances from everyone involved. They carry the viewer into the world without over-acting, or cartoonish caricature. These men all feel like living, breathing people. The film never stoops to making fun of or over-simplifying the militiaman character type: all of these actors sell the material they are given, and ground their performances.
But the rest of the ensemble isn't far behind him. The film is filled to the brim with confident, grounded performances from everyone involved. They carry the viewer into the world without over-acting, or cartoonish caricature. These men all feel like living, breathing people. The film never stoops to making fun of or over-simplifying the militiaman character type: all of these actors sell the material they are given, and ground their performances.
IV. Beautifully Constructed
The camera-work by Jackson Hunt is gobsmackingly gorgeous. He uses balance, and leading lines, and the environment to frame the characters in compelling, interesting ways. I particularly liked the way he uses his camera to help establish power dynamics in each scene: characters are frequently shot from below to denote power, shot from above to denote weakness, or shot on eye-level to suggest even-footing. The camera swaps position as the scene goes along and Gannon interrogates his fellows. It's a subtle, but effective trick that helps visually cue the emotional story.
And then there's the set, itself. This thing is largely set in one place, the militia warehouse. It is filled with water jugs, and chemicals, and lumber, and gasmasks, and firearms. It feels real, and lived-in, and has its own character. The movie feels claustrophobic, especially when the lights go out, and the klieg lights come on, casting everyone into sharp relief of harsh light and inky shadow.
Adam Dietrich's production design is wonderfully detailed and realistically rendered.
And then there's the set, itself. This thing is largely set in one place, the militia warehouse. It is filled with water jugs, and chemicals, and lumber, and gasmasks, and firearms. It feels real, and lived-in, and has its own character. The movie feels claustrophobic, especially when the lights go out, and the klieg lights come on, casting everyone into sharp relief of harsh light and inky shadow.
Adam Dietrich's production design is wonderfully detailed and realistically rendered.
V. Feels Like a Play
There are films that occasionally feel more liked plays, with a collection of extended, character-based, single-locations scenes. Sparrow Creek is such a movie. Each scene delivers on character detail, and the slow build of tension. The whole thing ends up feeling like a locked-room mystery, and the clever plotting keeps you guessing until the whopper of a reveal.
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