City of Salt

The review title says it all really. The story is intrinsically good, and quite important. Unfortunately the script itself is quite poor, but even that surpasses the quality of the acting....... rather typically of the type 'B' movie that we are all being subjected to throughout Covid. I don't regret watching it, but just wish it had been better.

The scene that the daughter come out of closet in front of her father and how his father react just make me feel it's 1990 again. Totally cannot fit in. Just a very mediocre storyline for family issue leading the tragedy. Both parents reaction is too over dramatic and hateful in many level.

I started watching this movie thinking it was going to be more of a horror/thriller/mystery/suspense type film. The intro titles looked super professional, so I was surprised to see it was a B-quality film along with B-quality acting. But, I was curious so I watched the first 15 minutes. I quickly realized the plot was about a Mormon community that is rattled by a missing teenager and a suicide. Okay, sounded intriguing. I watched more.

Some of the acting was not great, and some was really good, but I wouldn't say it was all terrible or even the worst I've seen because it really isn't. I was intrigued by the theme, I wasn't sure who this movie was for. It was based on a Mormon community, but seemed to be preaching acceptance of others, including the LGBTQ community, which I know is not very accepted in conservative circles. So I kept watching to reveal more of the plot and actually was drawn in. The production quality is a little hokey and again the acting is not all great, plus I was really thrown off by some of the actors who were supposed to be kids looking like 40 year old women, but overall I was interested and before I know it the movie was almost over.

The film came to a close with fitting retribution. Most satisfying was the positive message it exuded, even in lieu of the religious backdrop. Though the production wasn't top notch, it wasn't the worst I've seen and there's a lot of other much worse crap out there you could watch.

Give it a chance!

When downloading this movie from one particular site it was rated 8.4 Then I looked it up on IMDB where it was rated 7.3 Right after watching the movie and adding it to my list I noticed its rating dropped to 6.4 So in just 2 hours this movie lost 2 full points and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have reached its lowest rating. The fast dropping didn't really surprise me as there was terribly bad acting especially during the first half. Plot developments were badly introduced and lacked any sense of involvement in the story. To make the disaster complete, during the last half the plot developed so unlikely that my idea was that some amateur script writer was hired to complete an already murky story with shallow characters. See it if you have some 2 hours left on a rainy day. Otherwise skip it. You won't miss much.

This film has a great underlying story but it is hard to find it amid what is presented.

The script needs work. There is a great deal of needless repetition and unnecessary dialogue.

The acting is bad. There is effort but it just doesn't make the cut. Trying to create such a dramatic film with unskilled actors comes off as cheesy and unprofessional. It takes away from the viewer's ability to invest in the characters and without the investment, you are just watching people going through motions. It becomes bland and uninteresting.

The subject matter is a bit convoluted at times. Sometimes it is trying to target politics, at others, religion and then there is the topic of homosexuality or gender identity. While all of these topics can be blended together, the transitioning between them seemed choppy and removed from each other.

There was also one scene that just bugged me. The funeral scene. There are people standing around with umbrellas, we hear the sound of rain and yet, the sun is out and the flowers are bone dry. Just a detail that totally stood out to me.

I don't like to knock low budget indies. They can be great sources of fresh ideas and this movie, as I said, has a really great underlying story. The execution is lacking though and that's just being real about it. If you can get past the things I have mentioned and want to give it a try for the story, go for it. However, if you can't tolerate those issues, pass.