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Harks back to a time when the word "liberal" meant what it said and heralded more experimental movies, more freedom to script. Entertaining and polished. Which is more than can be said about most cookie cutter movies these days.

A decent Thriller which focuses on the intrinsic value of heroism and selflessness rather than glamorizing and glorifying violence. It does not set out to prove or relay an agenda. This movie is a story of courage in the face of psychological trauma. It's not Citizen Kane, but it's a solid watch with good editing, good acting and a solid art direction. The trailer gave off heavy Die Hard vibes but the movie itself is nothing like it.

Critics won't like it because it provides virtually no political commentary and places all of its value on the importance of courage and doesn't focus on the broader issues at play besides the ubiquitous issue of self-obsession and social media infamy. Conservatives would like it more if they had touched on the issue of nihilism, but again, this movie isn't for the right or the left, it's for everyone.

In recent years, professional critics are most often concerned with the message they want to see, often using phrases such as "this movie provides social commentary which will undoubtedly make the audience think" rather than immersing themselves in the story the movie wants to tell. Comparable to the "problem" with "Hillbilly Elegy", which sets out to tell a story and does it well. Critics don't like it because they don't like the overall message.

Anyway, 7/10, great movie for a night-in with the wife if you're in the mood for a Thriller

Wow the critics went hard on this one. Why is everyone so sensitive and need to be politically correct these days? Just sit back, grab the popcorn, and enjoy the ride. And to those who think this film is politically motivated, give your heads a shake and go out more for fresh air lol.

Writer and director Kyle Rankin did a fine job directing this film and his cast. His story did have a few plot and technical issues, but for "not" being a seasoned Hollywood screenwriter, he did just fine. My only critique was the "mom"... I don't think she really needed to be part of the story, and the hero role played out a little on the overkill side... hence the comparison to Die Hard comments. Had Zoe's character had a better military background in the story, instead of her mom, then she could've gone ballistic and it'd be convincing. Hunting with her dad didn't quite cut it for me, although her closing comment was on point and you'll probably end up clapping like we did. Other than that, the story flowed nicely and it was well paced. The 109 min runtime was just right for the story.

All casting and performances were spot on and convincing, especially Isabel May as Zoe - she nailed her character. Cinematography and score we great, and the S/VFX were decent.

All in all, an enjoyable film. Just loosen up that collar and enjoy this film for what it is... an entertaining and well produced action thriller. It's a well deserved 8/10 from me. To see my review criteria, or more of my 1000+ reviews, just click on my username. Then go see this little misunderstood gem.

It seems as with most things these days, politics is affecting reviews.

I like to watch stuff objectively and not try to impose politics on the review. And any issues with the production of the movie or the production company (I am completely aware of the issues with Cinestate. But I don't believe that means this movie should be shunned and buried.)

The acting is pretty good. The production is very well made.

What bothered me most were the convoluted plot points to keep the police away from the school during the shooting/siege. (not really spoilers, these happen in like the first 10-15 minutes of the movie) A field fire? A shed fire? Are those really going to get all the police and emergency response teams in the county to respond to those? And block roads because on lookers want to see what's going on?

I've lived in rural places before. A field fire isn't going to get that many people to block roads to watch it. And we know early on one of the student's mothers called the police. But they couldn't tear themselves away from a field fire or a shed fire to respond to a school shooting.

Weak plot points like this really ruin movies like this for me. If the kid had planted bombs at the court house or other important buildings in town, then we may have had a more believable plot point. But I am fairly confident they'd just let the shed burn to the ground if student lives were at risk, and a single engine fire response could have taken care of the field fire.

Still, a pretty decent movie. But certainly not the strongest from Cinestate. And certainly not going to put Daily Wire on the streaming map, but it's a decent first step for them, I suppose.

Entertaining action flick with very likable lead actress and a solid supporting cast. The motivation is a little cliched and the emotional background is a little maudlin, but for a movie with a budget of $1.5 million, the production values are first-rate and the execution is solid.