Shimmer Lake

A crime caper which is told in reverse which seems like a bad choice until the end (beginning) of the story where it all comes together nicely. It has a quirky style, some humorous moments and good acting, but mostly, it just rolls along without much of a fuss.

'SHIMMER LAKE': Four Stars (Out of Five)

A crime thriller told in reverse order, about a sheriff investigating a bank robbery involving his brother and two old high school friends. It was written and directed by first time feature filmmaker Oren Uziel (who previously wrote the horror-comedy 'FREAKS OF NATURE', and he also co-wrote '22 JUMP STREET'). The movie stars Benjamin Walker, Rainn Wilson, Stephanie Sigman, Wyatt Russell, Adam Pally, Mark Rendall, John Michael Higgins, Ron Livingston and Rob Corddry. It was released by Netflix through their streaming site, and it's gotten polarized reviews from critics (from the small number that have seen it that is, but some rave about it). I really enjoyed it too.

The story is told over the course of one week, in reverse order, starting with Friday. It's about a bank robbery gone wrong, in a small town, being investigated by Sheriff Zeke Sikes (Walker). The robbery was carried out by Zeke's brother Andy (Wilson), and two old high school friends of theirs, Ed Burton (Russell) and Chris Morrow (Rendall). On Friday, Andy is trying to get away with the money from the robbery, while his brother is looking for him. We see Andy's fate, and then we learn what happened to everyone else, and everything that happened leading up to Friday, in reverse daily order.

The movie is pretty cleverly written, and acted, and it even has a pretty fun twist at the end. It seems fresh, and pretty original, but if you take away the 'reverse order' storytelling gimmick, it's not really that original or memorable. Still it's highly amusing, and always interesting to watch. It should keep most viewers guessing (until the very end) as well. It did for me, and I definitely recommend it.

It's smart, funny, dark and succinct. Makes you use your brain a bit as you rethink the previous scenes with each newfound bit of information. I was pleasantly entertained and actually laughed out loud several times. A hidden gem of a movie that deserves much better than the 6.2 rating it currently has. I'm starting to lose faith in the IMDb rating system.

This movie shows us the events which unfold after a bank robbery, in reverse. It is a very gripping film that has you wondering right until the last scene. Great characters and dialogue, with a good mix of suspense and action. If you enjoy the movie, no doubt you will want to watch it again, since the movie is played in reverse chronological order. I think the decision to show the movie in this order was risky, but well executed. Great length, no filler... awesome movie!

In conclusion, I highly recommend this movie. The End.

And thirdly, the script was clever. The writer did not just start spitting out ideas on a whim. He actually took time to ensure the plot had no holes, and it was just brilliantly made! Good job!

Secondly, the actors did an amazing job in fulfilling their roles. It's nice to have Dwight Schrute and the Office Space guy.

Firstly, this is not a rip off of Memento or Pulp Fiction. It's got its own originality.

To start my review, I just wanted to say that I thought this movie was cleverly made.