All Souls

A pleasant surprise.

It rapidly establishes the setting, the deep attachment between a mother and her 5-year-old daughter in a low-income drug trafficking environment in which she appears to be embroiled.

This works wonderfully, as I can testify because I had the kind of daughter adopted at the age of five, who had the similar flamboyant, ironic demeanour. Little Mia Love Disnard is a natural in acting, and we will see more of her. She will brake many male hearts too, when she grows up...

Their interaction with the outside world is likewise truly natural and refreshing.

While the mother has a caring heart for her child, she has learnt to be rather bitchy in order to endure in the outside world, where best friends may become deadliest foes by the blink of an eye. Seeking protection from Santa Muerte, the patron saint of those living on the outside, mother and daughter paint half of their faces symmetrically with a bony skull to become one. Brilliant symbolism. Their common tagline is "Stay dangerous".

Two wannabe-promoted narcotics investigators threaten her with Child Protective Services if she does not agree to fool a drug boss by wearing a wire. However, the surveillance goes wrong, the wire malfunctions, and the trap fails to operate as intended.

From that point forward, the film accelerates progressively and steadily, both in camera cuts and shakes (which I typically despise), razorsharp with a furious rythmic score until the last scenes, up to what I personally consider sustainable. It's all really spontaneous and short. There are no boring moments.

And some unreasonable choices are plausible given everyone's emotional stress levels.

The film is not particularly imaginative, it appears to be a narration of a terrifying life experience without delving too deeply into the characters' backgrounds. However, the primary characters are adequately distinct, the narrative is straightforward, and the outcome is transparent.

A refreshingly spontaneous entertaining film that simply does what it means, with no pretensions.

All Souls, the latest crime thriller from director Emmanuelle Pickett, had the potential to be a captivating exploration of the morally gray world of undercover informants and drug cartels. Unfortunately, it falls flat with its predictable plot, underdeveloped characters, and lackluster execution.

Clichéd and predictable: The film follows a tired formula, relying heavily on well-worn tropes and recycled plot points. All Souls does little to differentiate itself. The predictable twists and turns fail to surprise or engage the audience, leaving them feeling uninspired and bored.

Unconvincing characters: The characters in All Souls are shallow and underdeveloped. We never truly connect with them on an emotional level, making it difficult to care about their fates. The dialogue is often stilted and unnatural, further highlighting the lack of depth and authenticity in the characters.

Lackluster execution: The film's pacing is uneven, with stretches of slow exposition followed by abrupt bursts of action. The editing is choppy and jarring, disrupting the flow of the film and making it feel disjointed. Following the characters when the action breaks out becomes difficult because of the editing.

The cinematography is uninspired, failing to capture the gritty atmosphere the film aims for.

Overall, All Souls is a disappointing and forgettable addition to the crime thriller genre. It offers nothing new or original, and its flaws outweigh any positives. If you're looking for a captivating and suspenseful film, look elsewhere.

If I had to say something positive, I feel that the actress, Mikey Madison, gave a good performance. But none of the other characters could match her acting skills. The little girl is adorable and I am sure she will have many future roles.

Here are some of the specific issues I found with the film:

The plot is predictable and unoriginal.

The characters are shallow and underdeveloped.

The dialogue is stilted and unnatural.

The pacing is uneven and the editing is choppy.

The cinematography is uninspired.

Its watchable, but not memerable.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

Or Anora on the run - well no pun intended. And you may wonder what summary headline I'd have chosen if Anora did not exist - or I had watched this chronologically (so before her role in that Oscar movie came along) ... I can't tell you to be honest. Because let's be honest, while this is more than decent, it is also overall run by the mill .. or by Anora (Madison to use her real name).

So our main character has quite a lot to go through. Being a mother (having a kid) does not make things easier ... on the other hand it gives her reason to fight ... to stay strong and to never back down ... even when things seem hopeless. Good thriller ... but nothing that you will get too crazy about!

Low budget independent films are very interesting. They're always able to show more style and do a lot with very less through the right creative vision. That's the case with Emmanuelle Pickett and her tense direction.

The edgy framing of certain shots, gorgeous, slick lighting and the effective paranoia of a confined environment in its plot make this a prime experience in why independent films deserve theatrical support and discovery. A new lead actress in Mikey Madison, of Manson family recognition, and the suprise acting turn of G-Eazy make the viewing "Some Kind of Drug". Most definitely one of the adrenaline type. Go give it a watch.

Fans of crime thrillers and dramas are sure to be delighted with this directorial debut from Emmanuelle Pickett. The intense journey of the protagonist and the great length she was willing to take was executed and shown in such relatable and straightforward manner. The performance of the protagonist was nothing short of amazing. I just wished that the movie was longer and the story was clearer. At times it gets confusing what was really happening because of too much shooting and confrontation scenes, and I wished that the story arcs of the characters were firmly established. Also, dark cinematography was too utilized which made the film too serious to watch.