[Cargo]

Holy crap this movie went from thriller to comical, in 5 seconds flat and then there was Tom

I watched this because I'm a huge fan of Ron Thompson's work as Tony and Pete in the magnificent, underrated Ralph Bakshi film American Pop. I'm not a fan of horror thrillers. So why am I giving it a high rating? Because I appreciate what the filmmakers did here. This is an independent film through and through. No big budget. No fancy locations. But they came up with an interesting premise: Crappy, wealthy guy Anthony Peterson is being held in a cargo container for ransom. All the action takes place in the cargo container. Peterson doesn't know where he is. The only link to the outside world is a cell phone that cannot be traced. Peterson has to call anyone he can think of to convince them to transfer money to his abductors and secure his release. The voice acting of the folks with whom our "hero" Peterson interacts was problematic for me at first, but then I leaned into it, as I realized it was intentionally exaggerated, and it contributed to the over-the-top ride. Add to that the creative use of space, wild camera angles, and a stellar score from Thorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream, and you've got a solid horror thriller. If you're into horror thrillers, you'll dig this movie.

Honestly, fast forward precisely 74 minutes. The entirety of the film gets explained in a few short sentences at that point. It ends 3 minutes later, just as ridiculously and nonsensically as everything that came before it.

The film gets a jump start in the right direction throwing the story right out in the middle of the heat. Thats where Cargo Succeeds, it uses the strangeness of the situation to keep the story up and running.

The story is a high concept suspense told in a minimalist, claustrophobic manner. The idea is familiar and novel. Dylan plays on those familiar tropes with creativity and style. The dark, often close-framed shots create an atmosphere of suspense and tension. It gives a physical representation to the dire circumstances and loss of control both in situation and emotion.

The single actor drama is a risky choice that can, at times, seem tedious. Putting more constraint on the ability for an organic flow. And for the most part "Cargo" falls into this trap. The unseen antagonist offers some relief, providing a catalyst for both the story motion, and the character study. However the execution of the one-man show often feels forced and looses momentum periodically. Not by any fault of the actor, Ron Thompson, he gives a great performance.

The cinematography is quality, keeping the scenes, and setting interesting throughout the movie. The soundtrack is also good and seems to compliment the journey of this tortured, kidnapped (bad man). Still at times "Cargo" did loose my attention, and to finish did require dedication. Check it out but the high concept and uniqueness will only really speak to a select audience.