Reach

Reach is an emotional rollercoaster, from the opening line I was instantly hooked. This film set out to show us the value in life, and to never take it for granted. It takes us on a journey, dissecting our protagonist's imperfections and why they are the way they are. By far Johnny James Fiore steals the show as Clarence West. In most films this character would be relegated to the comedic sidekick but, I am so glad it's not the case here. Additionally Jordan Doww gives greater depth to Nick Perkins who you'd think would be the one note bully character. It was such a delightful surprise to experience his side of the story, to the point where I was almost wanting more. Of course there's also Garrett Clayton as Steven Turano whose slow progression from suicidal loner to confident musician was portrayed with great reverence. I would highly recommend this film not just for the experience but for its real life values. Suicide is no laughing matter, and many young adults fall victim to it too often. I feel Reach proudly stands in opposition!

This film has an identity crisis with its convoluted writing and screenplay that took away from the films message. The pace was too slow and that awful unbearable score made it more evident. Considering there were 3 novice writers, you'd think at least one of them would have fine-tuned the screenplay. The acting was mainly sub-par/amateurish with the exception of Johnny James Fiore, who was adequate. Others were stale or ridiculously overboard. Leif Rokesh directed this film fairly decent considering it's his first notch in film making, but he would have shined if the editing was better. Granted, this was a low budget indie film, but I feel it could have been much better with a little fine tuning and getting rid of that awful score and soundtrack to elevate it from being bland, into having some or little life. Nevertheless, still a noble attempt for a C-grade indie film. 6/10 from me

Wow. This film left me incredibly emotional. I have probably just experienced dozens of emotions while watching these characters endure immensely traumatic events, broken up by tender moments of humor, hope, friendship, and familial reconnections.

Surrounding themes of bullying, loneliness, suicide, alcohol/drug abuse, infidelity, and homicide, this story inspires and empowers a stance against these very real phenomena. There is also an encouragement to understand that as the characters each come from their own flawed backgrounds, their struggles may explain their behaviors and outbursts, but does not justify them, nonetheless.

Overall, this film serves as a great reminder to empathize more, making this a must-watch. The very talented cast, containing some familiar faces, provide some amazing performances with great depth to a well-written story.

I thought the movie was phenomenal. It touched me and I feel like I can resonate with some of it. The whole thing really showed a lot of great representation and awareness. It really goes to show how you never know what someone is going through so you should always treat others with kindness, because that can go a long way and it can never hurt to just be genuine towards people. Despite the amazing and talented performances by all the actors, I believe others should watch and give this movie a chance. It truly is a sweet yet sad story and it can touch a lot of peoples hearts and has a strong message that is impactful and inspiring.

I really enjoyed this. While not really groundbreaking, the cast seemed to really believe in their roles. The ending was unexpected and really got me emotional. The dynamics between the characters were also laudibly presented in my opinion, not making everything revolve around sex like so many high school movies. I would really recommend this to anyone who struggled in high school, had issues with their parents and - most interesting regarding this movie - met someone who really helped them through that period or even just wished they did meet such a person (this is my case and the movie really made an impression on me).