On Fire

Perhaps the best thing about this film is that it will convince many people that it is really necessary to keep those 50 or even 100 meters without trees around the houses. And even then... the example given here of the ingenious care taken by the owner of that house literally going up in smoke was interesting: you're never safe from the recklessness of your neighbors.

The story of a family of 3+1 who survived a forest fire provides the pretext for a production in which we are placed inside the burning forest, in a terrifyingly realistic reconstruction of the scenario that someone in those circumstances has to face - with virtually no chance of survival. Great value is placed on unity, as each element of these three will contribute in its own way to an improbable outcome.

The production (pyrotechnics and everything else) is stupendous, the actors very convincing and the filming impeccable. But there are a few problems, namely the script, which is too formulaic and predictable, and with inconsistencies: there's the manslaughter of two old people, with no culpability and (almost) no remorse, and there's the final shock of seeing those trees, so green, on the shores of Lake Chilton...

No pun intended - I thought at first the movie was made in the 80s - the title and the fact Lance Henriksen is one of the "leads". I was wrong in the end - but I did like what I got served. Well liked as in I think it was very well made. Because what we do get is quite harrowing. And yes suspension of disbelief is quite important here. And accepting that some things may feel a bit like cliches ... but they still work.

I have met Peter Faccinelli at a convention and he seemed very content and happy with the movie. And considering the cast and the struggle/fight for life we see there ... something we can all relate to ... Will of life ... drama baby ... it all works, depending on how much slack you want to cut it.

IN A NUTSHELL: The film was inspired by true events and is certainly timely, as so many devastating fires have destroyed homes and cities around the globe.

On Fire was written, directed, and produced by Nick Lyon. Peter Facinelli stars in it and also directed and produced the film.

THINGS I LIKED: The cast does a good job and includes Peter Facinelli, Fiona Dourif, Asher Angel, Lance Henriksen, and Glenn Morshower.

Cinematographer Philip Roy does a great job capturing the beauty and danger of fire.

It's too bad it takes an emergency before people think ahead to get prepared. You should always keep an emergency backpack in each of your cars and one at home for each member of your family. Inside the backpack should be food, water, medicine, diapers, a change of clothes, a list of phone numbers of your loved ones, flashlights with extra batteries, and other crucial items. If you Google "72-hour kit" or "emergency preparedness kit", you'll see tons of websites that offer helpful lists. I've done this for years and can tell you it definitely has given me peace of mind, knowing I had what my family needed in case of a sudden evacuation. Only time I needed to use it. I was driving with my baby about 40 minutes from my house in Georgia when a tornado warning suddenly hit. I was stranded and so grateful I had food and diapers in my backpack so I could take care of my baby until we were able to get home safely. Trees were downed and we escaped into a stranger's basement for a couple of hours while the storm blew over.

In the film, we see the featured family make both good and bad decisions. If you see this movie with your family, talk about those things and make a plan for what you would do in an emergency.

The movie absolutely demonstrates how quickly a fire can spread and even change directions.

At the end of the film, we see words on the screen that tell us how millions of acres around the world are destroyed in wildfires, affecting the lives of humans, animals, and plant life. We also see words of gratitude for all of the firefighters who risk their lives trying to save others.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Some of the CGI doesn't look very real.

Other than just caring for the well-being of other human beings, we don't learn much about the family to truly become endeared to them and care.

The movie is pretty simple and straightforward.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Young children will be frightened by the fire and dangerous situations.

People die.

Some profanity and 1 F-bomb.

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As a former Firefighter/EMT I found this film to be infuriating, especially because it was based on a true story! After fighting numerous wildfires in the backcountry, a firefighter's worst nightmare is dealing with unprepared citizens and an inept Incident Commander that endangered the lives of those employees & citizens who were properly trained.

If the details presented were accurate, the family portrayed should be chastised for their ignorance while residing in the obviously heavily wooded area! Using Google to research emergency procedures should have been a priority BEFORE A FIRE 🔥! Being insured, clearing defensive space & preparing a GO BAG are priorities! Preparation is everything.

This film was certainly predictable but they had to take you through everything that happens to people in fires. I cried more than half of the movie. The emotional factor of this movie calls for a 10 but I had to lower it for predictability...even though it's probably unavoidable in a film like this.

I think also now because of the recently California fires, this movie might be more highly rated. I was tense probably 85% of the movie! Imagine how the real people feel when real fire is approaching devilishly fast to eat up their home and them inside of it. I couldn't even imagine. But, as a person who hasn't lived through wildfires, I feel this film did a good job explaining to me all of the terrible things that happen. Also, the beautiful things, like help and rescue teams, firefighters, 911 service. I recommend this movie if you're into suspense and emotional drama.