The Standoff at Sparrow Creek

I'm a big fan of single-location mystery/thrillers. They have produced some of my favourite movies in fact over the years. There's just something about them. I think it stems down to the fact that the director doesn't have the variety in locations to drive his movie, so he has to use the story and dialogue to carry things. Give me that any day of the week. 'The Standoff at Sparrow Creek' won't go down in the category of greats, but it's a pretty solid effort from a debut filmmaker.

The film is very dark for a large majority of the runtime. It can be quite difficult to tell what exactly is going on at certain points. There's a decent sized cast for a clearly low-budget film. Some of the characters are really interesting, others not so much. The interesting ones luckily have the most screen time and carry the weaker ones when they share a scene.

There are some really strong lines of dialogue in this movie too. Some of them caught me off-guard by just how thought-provoking they were. They film does sometimes struggle to justify its already short runtime and it feels like things are being stretched out just a little at times. All in all though I had a good time with 'The Standoff at Sparrow Creek' and if this is where writer/director Henry Dunham is starting his career then the sky is the limit.

This movie is very underrated but is not perfect. The performances are great as well as the cinematography. The story is pretty solid some points are a little weak. Character development is good although you only get to know about 3 or 4 characters really well. If it was a little longer with better character development I would rate it a 8. Also the twist (no spoilers) kind of ruins the opening for me. One I first watched it those gunshots he hears are chilling. But once you watch it again (for me at least) it isn't as good. But this is a solid thriller and people should check it out. It's on Hulu.

Militia members gather underground in the aftermath of a mass shooting to discover something disturbing. An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, the type used in the attack, is missing from their cache. Interrogations ensue, tempers flare and threats fly as they try to discover who among them knows something before the police arrive. Confusion, mistrust and fear spike as word comes that an extensive plot is underway and neighboring militias are involved in something ominous. Everything depends on where and who the information comes from and truth is in short supply.

This fast flowing and gripping gun culture thriller contains a wonderful cast of characters including a lone wolf, informant, tech geek, ex police officer, quirky and enigmatic leader, old timer and white supremacist with a criminal past. Lines are delivered like rifle fire and it takes concentration to follow the action. There is pleasing depth in this dialogue and intriguing mystery about where the conversations will take the story. Actions seem plausible and the actors are more than convincing. Lots of testosterone and guttural grunting all around. The film was shot in Dallas. This was according to the director who was at this world premiere and midnight madness showing of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

There is an amazing film here that the writer/director didn't actually get on film. The cast is solid and the direction is fine. The writing falters here and there. There are story lines that needed to be fleshed out a bit. Some of it seems a little implausible but only because there isn't enough attention given to details. I'm not bashing the writer/director. He did a fine job; better than most would. I actually look forward to what he has in store. I just can't help but feel this could have been a mind-blowing film in more, I dunno, seasoned hands.

Certainly intriguing enough to keep me engrossed throughout and it kept me guessing. But some of the plot elements were nonsensical and the ending seemed more convoluted than it needed to be. Good debut for the writer and director Henry Dunham.