I've been waiting eagerly for the release of this movie since I first learned about it in 2018. The herculean task Chris Jones has achieved by knitting together 50 different stories by 50 different storytellers into one film cannot be emphasised enough. "Impact 50" is relentless in delivering a catalogue of real HUMAN reactions and emotions..I found it hard to look and then hard to look away some times. Surprisingly, the pacing was actually pretty good, given the number of stories and how long each scene was.
A vignette with an elderly couple left to their own devices on an abandoned beach was both heartwarming and bittersweet. It felt real and authentic and reminded me that life is always too short to tell someone you love them. There were comedic moments as well as heart-wrenching scenarios with no happy ending in sight. The acting across the board, through 50 different directors, was consistently on the mark. There were no celebrities in this film and there didn't need to be. Unlike another meteor movie which came out last year, this film explores REAL human emotions and REAL human responses, and I found myself crying for every single person I saw on screen at the end.
My only criticism would be that at times the pacing was a bit slow, but given the number of stories and the range and style of each one, it was executed pretty damn near flawlessly.
Kudos to Chris Jones and kudos to the final 50 writers and directors who made the final cut. Beyond the attempted Guinness record-breaking nods ("most writers/directors" in a single film", "most names in the credits", etc ), this is a film that will touch you to your core and make you want to go hug a loved one afterwards.
Well worth the watch.
