8 Winds

Dan Coplan's 8 Winds is a contemporary masterpiece, yet it is underappreciated by the masses. This 2021 release can be viewed as a cinematic relative of Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street and Roman Polanski's Chinatown. All three films give its audience a look inside the veil of both big business and government. From the opening lines between two villainous characters in Southern California saying "control the water, you control the economy" you immediately know that you are in for an expose on the state of power.

Mr. Coplan, who wrote, directed and starred in this movie, takes the viewer for a deep dive into the "Post-Truth Era" which has engulfed American politics for the nearly last decade. By setting the film against the backdrop of Russian interference, it is hard not to see how this film reflected on the 2016 U. S. Presidential Election and foresaw aspects of the current Russian-Ukraine war. Moreover, in about nine months, voters in the United States will be going to the polls to choose how collectively we want this country to be governed. As we reflect on the state of democracy, 8 Winds is the perfect film for our own moral contemplations on our current state of affairs.

If you like suspense movies, this is one for you. It reminded me of the parallax view and other classic noir thrillers. The plot is challenging, so you'll have to stick with it. Script and acting are very strong.

I really enjoyed this film! It was both a little unsettling and uplifting at the same time. I loved all the actors' performances and the film score was great. I found it thought provoking and a refreshing departure from all the cookie-cutter productions that flood all the streaming services nowadays. It had me on the edge of the my seat, I recommend this film.

I enjoyed the suspense and character development of this entertaining Noir film. Good to pay homage to the late Howard Hawk's and the American Cinema Noir films of the.1930's.

I love this quirky film! It has a slow burn so that when you are drawn into the story, as you will be, you forget its budget limitations. Once it gets going it grabs your attention as small and important clues are revealed in unexpected places.

It is at once a Hitchcockian political thriller and a story of love and sacrifice. It reminds me a lot of Chinatown, The Long Goodbye, and Antonioni's The Passenger.

Also there is such great chemistry between the two lead actors that you really have someone to root for.

Robert Davi! He turns in an incredible performance with such nuances and vulnerability, it is some of his best work IMHO.

There is also some wonderful cinematography that creates pure cinematic poetry.