Echo 8

Probably one of the worst movies ever made.

I'm not sure how or why the level of martial arts or acting is thought to be acceptable for a movie here, it's not. A degrading and genre scarring movie... please Just Don't!!

Most action actors have a certain level of talent in the action area, and generally when a good actor engages in action they are forgiven for the lack of physical ability because their dramatic skills are of a high level.

But here unfortunately, the acting is stilted with memorized lines, predetermined deliveries and face pulling antics hijacking characters that are attempted to be portrayed by very poor untrained actors who also suffer from unathletic poorly skilled martial arts choreographry and execution.

Although Echo 8 may not be a terrific film, it's still quite an achievement when taking into consideration all the limitations the filmmakers had to face and the amount of jobs each crew member undertook by themselves. In regards to Tran, I highly doubt you will see any other filmmaker this year starring, directing, producing, editing and choreographing the fights of their own movie.

Mainstream viewers may be put off by the obvious low budget, and even I would have to admit that it is an obstacle. Still, there is a lot to admire here and would be a perfect film for any potential filmmakers to show what can be done on limited finances.

2023 looks like it should be a good year for Tran. Not only does she have Echo 8 due for release, she also has a supporting role in the upcoming television series Last King of the Cross (2023), where she will be acting alongside the likes of Tim Roth, Matt Nable and Callan Mulvey. Hopefully this will open up Tran to a wider audience, and I look forward to seeing what films she can come up with in the future when giving a larger budget.

Honestly, Echo 8 didn't exactly grab me with the poster-it looked like your average low-budget indie trying to be more than it is. So I went in with zero expectations... and ended up getting completely blindsided.

Yeah, it starts slow. But give it 15-20 minutes, and suddenly you're hooked into a story that blends solid action with surprising emotional depth. And get this-it was made on a $10K budget. Ten grand. That's insane. The cinematography, fight choreography, and overall production quality are way better than most indie action flicks I've seen with ten times the budget.

Maria Tran leads the charge with a calm, focused energy that works well for her character. Her scenes with the co-star actually land-they've got decent chemistry and some solid back-and-forth that adds charm without forcing it. The writing isn't perfect, but it knows what it's trying to do and hits the mark more often than not.

Echo 8 isn't trying to be a blockbuster-it's an indie film with guts, a bit of heart, and a team clearly giving it their all. If you're into scrappy underdog action films that aren't just mindless brawls, it's absolutely worth a look.

Badass indie action film from Western Sydney? Sign me up!! A solid directorial debut from action power couple Maria Tran and Takashi Hara, Echo 8 is a great case study for microbudget and fast-paced filmmaking.

Writer Elizabeth H. Vu finds unique and interesting ways to put more meat on the bones of a typical assassin plot, resulting in strong emotive performances from Maria Tran and Gabrielle Chan, and an interesting dynamic with Agent 5, portrayed by Takashi Hara. David Vuong shines bright with his charisma and likeable character, and Maria Tran proves that she is a star, showcasing her range from scenes where she is a stoic action hero, to lighter and more comedic moments.

This film wears it's humble shoe-string budget on it's sleeve, sometimes in ways that are less than ideal, but the film's smooth pacing and spectacle help distract and keeps the audience captive. It should also be noted this film was shot in a rather short time frame during the COVD-19 pandemic, and what has been achieved should really be commended, particularly towards the film's camera department. Perhaps the film could've benefited from a little more polish, but there is a particularly impressive fight sequence in an car park which really gets the blood pumping - hoping for more action sequences of this caliber from the future instalments ""FIVE BY FIVE" and "ECHO 8 BEYOND".

Ultimately, Echo 8 is yet another strong example of the amazing talent from Western Sydney, and a testament to how collaboration, talent, creativity and elbow grease can result in amazing works of art. Congrats to Maria Tran, Takashi Hara and crew!

I love independent action and martial arts films like "Echo 8". Many times the cinema of these genres neglects the script and the characters in favor of the action, but sometimes they have a powerful script, well written and developed and with great characters, as is the case. Maria Tran shows that we can have an action and martial arts movie and not just for the action scenes. The story leaves you wanting to know more about all its characters and visually it has nothing to envy of projects with a bigger budget. Maria Tran exudes a lot of charisma and Takashi Hara is perfect in a character that you are not sure if he is good or bad. And we cannot forget the presence of Mike Leeder as Z12, totally mysterious. More cinema like this.