This fits somewhere between a tantalising taster to raise funds and a finished project. There is too much padding for a full-length feature, but it is too good to be consigned to the graveyard of shorts.
Many of the actors have significant production roles; the two male leads act their socks off in a naturalistic way and also contribute songs to the score. A trivia item says it was filmed in 18 days due to actors' commitments, but they seem pretty busy doing script, stunts, soundtrack etc.
The cast were involved in developing the dialogue and it shows, for better and worse: very natural and realistic conversation is sometimes shattered by over-literal lines, clearly from the scripted element.
Camerawork is the weak spot. Washed-out colours, shaky motion in the action scenes, and unnecessary attempts to build tension by changing the palette to a red rinse. Some editing is suspect too - clips of car exhausts rattling to life only seem to be there to fill time. Short bookending scenes add little to the overall product, particularly the opener, but help stretch the runtime to over an hour.
I saw a film once in which a female actor's bottom got a credit. I wondered a few times if this camera operator was campaigning for a pair of white jeans to be similarly honoured.
No spoiler to say some of our hero's cop it, but the baddies show no consistency. If they have a common purpose it is not clear. It is more interesting when victims die in different ways, but not if we are to believe they die for a reason.
That said, there are very occasional flashes of something better: figures appearing in the background add suspense; there is a scene in a pub that evokes Straw Dogs or American Werewolf; other references include Duelling Banjos and a figure of Captain Spaulding.
This is a film that deserves a remake with some money behind it, but not in the US (please!).
