Parallel

"Parallel" makes creative use of its low budget to two a compelling story. Two locations and three actors feel mamy worlds bigger without blockbuster special effects. It's a slow start but but it picks up into an interesting storyline, and powerful performances by the talented cast. The concept of parallel universes is explored in a unique and thought-provoking way, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats as they try to unravel the mysteries presented on screen.

The direction and cinematography of "Parallel" are top-notch, telling a lot with a little

What truly sets "Parallel" apart is its strong character development and emotional depth. The protagonists are multi-dimensional and relatable, making their journey through the parallel universes all the more.

First, let's not kid ourselves, Danielle Deadwyler carries the movie. If the depth of this cloying wordy script was left to the Hodges brothers, it would be a puddle.

The budget is not a problem so much as the acting of 2/3 of the cast but then they wrote themselves a movie so they weren't going to cast capable actors. They probably shouldn't have cast Deadwyler though because she acts circles around them.

Unfortunately that's really not enough to save it. The over the top melodrama was already enough to bury the concept but they had so little confidence in the audience that they have to describe everything, every moral choice, every option and it gets terribly boring.

If you liked this, check out Coherence. It will blow your mind.

And, yes I'm going to tell right away - you can actually understand dialogue. Sound is clear, crisp and easily understood. No noise volume wars in this movie.

Cast is small, plot is simple, some things are a bit generic but it works. It's shot competently.

I'd wager this is a pretty small budget movie. But for what it does, it uses that budget smartly.

I don't like the cumulative score this movie has here. I don't understand it. It is not a bad movie. Yes, it's microbudgeted, small cast, not bombastic and the plot is pretty straightforward. Maybe people got bored during it, who knows.

In any case, I liked it.

Parallel depicts a woman, her husband, and his brother at ther late father's house deep in the woods. There is mention of the father's "crazy conspiracy theories" in their secluded area. The three appear to have some tension or conflict between them, especially the husband and wife. To escape this, thr wife goes for a walk into the woods and sees herself with a rifle, and this person shoots at her. The wife displays more emotional unsteadiness following this encounter.

That acting is well crafted if a bit overly emotive, but they are coping with a recent distressful situation. And the confusion of parallel worlds would be distressing as well. Production is good providing for a well-crafted visual prevention of home and woods.

But, the plot of loss, grief, and misery was too overwhelming for the seriousness of parallel worlds, and the sci-fi aspect complicated the sense of grief and loss without it adding anything to the film.

Nothing new, with less cast than Coherence.

This movie was good, well shot, and all around good for the genre. I think I enjoyed it because despite it clearly being a multiple dimension film, if you removed that and only thought about it as a weekend getaway with a husband a wife and a friend trying to move past a traumatic event, and that everyone is using psychology to try and break through to each other, it also works.

The ending though was just a bit too cookie cutter for a happy ending that didn't need that very last scene. It would've been just as good with everyone moving on/accepting what had happened.

One let down was that a piece of string was somehow going to help them travel through dimensions in a repeatable fashion. Sure if she had only followed the string to follow him, I'd buy it. But the moment he came back to her and wrapping the string up, they had no way of guaranteeing which reality they'd emerge in.