Clifton Hill

This movie kept my interest and attention for the entire duration so that's a positive thing. However I like mystery movies with a clear ending, an ending where I don't have to guess what really happened. I want clear answers on every question I have and unfortunately this was not the case with this movie. It felt like they couldn't be bothered to make it a nice ending, there were also some elements they completely neglected by the end and you start to wonder why they even brought them up during the movie. So to me whilst it was entertaining it clearly could and should have been better. Mysteries should start with an intriguing beginning, continue with a suspenseful middle, and end with the mystery completely solved, that's how a mystery movie is the most effective and that's how the gems in this genre are made. All in all the acting wasn't bad, the story was interesting, the cinematography was also okay but still it's a missed opportunity to make it a movie that stands out from the rest.

Don't get wrong... Not a bad stab at neo - noire. Its quite atmospheric, and captures the seedy and melancholic vibe you get from Niagara Falls after dark. There's certainly a transient and almost sinister undercurrent to Niagara Falls that's often sugar coated over... a primordial energy that this film does capture...

As a thriller/mystery it does fall short due to pacing and stilted dialogue though. It's final act falls sadly on the wrong side of predictably as well.

It supposed to be a thriller about a boy being kidnapped. But it's tonaly all over the place. There's moments I'd swear were going for comedy. The ott magicians are too light for a thriller. The shockingly dodgy wigs and facial hair trying to deage people back to the 90s and then having a young guy playing an old guy in a wheel chair. David Cronnenbergs whole performance was a laughable mess too.

The lead actress is fine though, she does what she can to make it all seem at least coherent, only just though.

Having moved away from Niagara Falls, Abbey returns in adulthood, to confront a childhood memory.

It's quite a good movie, it's an interesting premise, and nicely executed. It's almost very good, but it's let down by some muddled strands and a less than great ending.

I really did enjoy the music, some enjoyable tracks throughout, giving it a bit of a vintage vibe. Some of the eighties VHS segments look a little bit naff.

It's boosted by some good acting, Tuppence Middleton is excellent, what a talented actress she is.

Nicely shot, atmospheric, I'd recommend it, 6/10.

The third (but first recognized) directional feature by Albert Shin, "Disappearance at Clifton Hill", provides a subtle but effective slow-burning small town mystery / psychological drama / modern noir thriller, albeit one that's potential is only half realized. With great attention for detail (and a little less for the bigger picture), competent performances, intriguing setting & atmospheric cinematography and sound design "Disappearance at Clifton Hill" should please the fans of oddball indie thrillers.

This is, in its structure and essence, more or less, a standard mystery, but a good one, with bonus style points. The small town - faded town backdrop adds another point, and so does the pleasantly complicated and conflicted lead character of Abby, portrayed by Tuppence Middleton. The story is intriguing and compelling enough, but starts to fizzle out a bit towards the end with the screenwriters pulling a minor clutch with the very last scene. Throughout the movie, Abby sometimes connects the dots too easily and some moments in the rather serious and morbid story should have felt a little heavier than they did. You could say "Disappearance at Clifton Hill" pulls a few punches. Nevertheless, director Albert Shin knows how to orchestrate this symphony and every scene feels careful, peculiar, atmosphere-rich. Despite the never dissatisfactory eccentric detail and all the tasty, subtle flavor, the movie frequently tends to get lost in itself, resulting in "the bigger picture" being overly convoluted on surface while actually being relatively flat below. Technical side doesn't disappoint though, the original score by Alex Sowinski and Leland Whitty works wonders and is a major player in achieving the movie's peculiar atmosphere. The cinematography earns a compliment or two as well, "Disappearance at Clifton Hill" manages to excel at visually portraying a historically glowing, but faded and decaying community with a sparkle of unfamiliar nostalgia here and there. The audiovisual and aesthetical work on this movie rests on the level which I simply call top tier indie stuff.

In the end "Disappearance at Clifton Hill" stays above average and just more to impress with than to underwhelm with. Definitely recommended to the fans of indie mysteries, oddball thrillers and small town hurts. My rating: