Downrange

We are used to see better movies from Ryûhei Kitamura, so if like me you were a little bit excited to see he made a new one, you are excused if you afterwards you think: well that wasn't really that good. Heck, even if you are really dissapointed (knowing the director or not), it makes sense. What does not make sense is going completely insane and insulting the people involved.

This is not Shakespeare so you can't expect that level of script, dialog or even acting. That does not mean that the people involved are not capable or have not the capacity to gain and reach those heights. Now this is a fun little ride, that could have been more and admittedly gets annoying at times (decisions by the main characters) and the ending is a bit ... well I personally didn't like it that much, but it did get a big laugh from the overall audience, so ... Anyway, this is not for the faint hearted, with all the graphic violence and blood on display. You've been warned

First off, it's a low budget movie with some seriously cheesy acting. That being said, I really liked it for what it is. It's suspenseful, intense, bloody, and original. Like almost horror flicks, some of the characters make some very frustrating and stupid decisions, and it can be kind of predictable. But it is fun, in a bunch of people getting sniped off kind of way. Honestly, if this movie had a larger budget and perhaps some better actors, it would have probably been a hit. As is, it is still better than a lot of horror movies that Hollywood is pushing out. If you can look past it's obvious flaws, you will probably like this one.

Is it horror?? Not really. Is it action packed? Erm...I guess. Is it suspenseful? Mildly. The characters are weak, stupid, and generally unlikable. Seriously, how many people does it take to change a frickin' tire? At one point it looks like the dude is actually trying to remove the tire from the rim. I mean WT-Entire-F??? The plot is simple, the effects are acceptable. As we near the end, it seems like it'll be a total waste of time. But then, the end happens. And I loved it. In just those few seconds, this went from 2-3 stars to a solid 6 stars. It's worth the watch if you have a mildly sick sense of humor and appreciation for irony.

When a group of teenagers experience a blown out tire on an isolated stretch of backroads, a simple changing of the tire turns into a fight for survival when it's revealed a sniper was responsible for their tire blowing out and two of their group are killed in the process. As remaining members Jodi (Kelly Connaire), Keren (Stephanie Pearson), Todd (Rod Hernandez) and Eric Take cover unable to move the group tries to use what meager resources they have to find a means of escape.

Downrange is a 2017 horror thriller from cult Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura that premiered as a Shudder original in 2018. Much like Kitamura's prior American films The Midnight Meat Train and No One Lives, Downrange sees Kitamura efficiently and effectively use his available resources to create an intense horror setup that taps into American fears of mass shooters and snipers (long distance serial killers).

Despite the action being contained to only this one stretch of road, Kitamura uses the seemingly limited location to strong effect and along with co-writer Joey O'Bryan creates a likable set of characters with legitimate chemistry with one another that eschews the modern day trope of making horror characters obnoxious archetypes you're supposed to want to see die. The movie sets up a tense situation and never lets up and the ugliness inflicted by the shooter is ugly, horrific, and brutal. Perhaps the movie's a little too efficient with its running time as it perhaps feels like some characters didn't get as much development as others, but it makes up for it with all the various ways Kitamura mines impact and tension from a seemingly simple setup. Everytime I thought I knew where the movie was going, Kitamura would go another direction complete with a shocking ending that I can see many hating, but I think helps drive the point home about the underlying message involving the American problem with firearms.

Downrange is the kind of solid and intense filmmaking that we've come to expect from Kitamura who gives us a chilling exercise in tension and fear. While the gold standard for this kind of movie still probably remains Peter Bogdanovich's Targets, Downrange has its own voice and style that makes it a memorable and worthwhile sit.

Saw this recently on a dvd.

Been keeping a track of Kitamura's work after having enjoyed his Midnight Meat Train n No One Lives.

The best part about this film is the daylight-soaked settings.

Most of the action takes place under the scorching sun. There is no hand held camera stuff n even the night scenes were well shot.

Another good thing is that the film doesnt waste time n the thrill starts within minutes.

Has shades of the awful Carnage Park n also of Roadside (not seen but terrible reviews) n the awesome Phonebooth.

The violence is excessive, there is solid tension n the editing top notch. The shoot-outs r brutal.

It falls into the category of edge of the seat thriller. Not even for a sec I paused the film.