The title "Future Murder" and the weak package design for the VHS don't really lead one to expect much, but it still doesn't prepare the viewer for the poor excuse for a thriller that lies within. I found it in the science fiction section of my video store, so I'll tell you now what I didn't know then: it is not set in the future.
A surgeon living with his wife in some unspecified part of the USA is having nightmares about being murdered by two people he's never seen before. He becomes paranoid and can no longer perform the duties at his job. His speedy downward spiral leads to him finding two people who look like the ones from his dream. He gets out his gun and it's all downhill from there.
Someone on here commented that the script was impressive and I can't say I agree. The idea's not really bad, but this bare-bones script does not make it into a good movie. The characters really have no distinction beyond a few trivial reactions to the situations they're in. The dialog is limited to "what are we going to do?" and "are you okay?" exchanges. Had this been a short film I could at least admire the premise.
I've got nothing against independent film-making, in many cases I admire it, but this film shows the downside. "Future Murder" is inept, even in the technical sense. An often bad musical score squeaks over poorly recorded sound which isn't easily forgivable with the director's uneven visual sense (think Colman Francis trying to do Fritz Lang) and the poor picture quality.
It's no surprise the writer and director never really went anywhere. If you want an independent film that showcases good storytelling over production value, watch "Blood Guts Bullets and Octane" or "Pi". If you want poorly written stuff that still looks great, watch "Darkness Falls" or "They". Only watch "Future Murder" only if you're an independent filmmaker looking for an example of what not to do.
The second star is for the handful of decent shots in the movie and for the wasted premise.
