Jericho Ridge

This film is editor and writer Will Gilbey's first full-length feature film directorial debut, and he did not disappoint. The film isn't perfect by any means, but considering the filmmaker is not a seasoned pro, there's some forgiveness allowed for typical newb filmmaker rookie mistakes. There weren't many mistakes, and aside from some plot and technical issues, everything else was pretty much on point. The comfortable 87 min runtime flew by with decent pacing, and a story that had a great flow to it, as well as constant tension and suspense. There were some decent twists thrown in for good measure. The casting and performances were good, and the cinematography and score spot on, especially for a B-film. It's actually one of the better B-films I've seen in a while. It's a great one-time watch I'm sure everyone will enjoy, especially with all the big budget Hollywood blockbusters that have come out recently and have disappointed. It's a well deserved 7/10 from me.

I put this on expecting it to be background noise while I worked on my laptop but was immediately drawn into the story. The premise is pretty basic and we've seen it a million times but you don't mind it here because all the characters, even the side ones, immediately feel like real people with real baggage. The acting in general is solid all around but Amuka-Bird is amazing. The action is pretty brutal too. There are some scenes where you know what's about to happen but the impact of the violence still hits. Between this and Average Joe, also on BET+, the service is starting to come into its own. The app itself is still trash but that is a different story.

If you're looking for a deep, well-paced, original action film with twists that you don't see coming - then this definitely is not the film for you.

Strong female lead, has a hard life and works as a sheriff's deputy in a small town.

Following a very convoluted, yet obvious plot involving her dead beat son, she is forced to fight for her life when criminals descend on her police station. Yes, it's a discount remake of assault on precinct 13.

Just about the whole films is shot in the police station, which was most likely done for budgetary reasons.

The main problem is the convenience of the timeline. The attackers pause whenever they are needed to. They literally disappear for minutes at a time while the main characters wade through the plot exposition only to return as soon as they're done.

The others problems (in no particular order are): Plot armour, some characters are literally unkillable.

The main character's son's and main bad guy's American accents are TERRIBLE

The entirely predictable ending.

The way cameras etc cut out at the critical moment

The marksmanship on display would make stormtroopers blush.

The weapon handling would make Alec Baldwin blush

The back up showing up right after everything is over.

There are more, but you get the picture.

Given my time again, I wouldn't bother, but it's up to you.

Jericho Ridge is another rip-off of John Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13 (from 1976). It's not the first time they used that story to make a movie and this one is certainly not the worst. I thought it was entertaining the whole time. It's just a more modern version of Assault On Precinct 13. Nikki Amuka-Bird plays the main character and she was very believable in her performance. The acting from the small cast wasn't bad at all. Constant action makes it worth watching. Maybe not always the best decisions were made during the assault but you could blame the stress that comes with it. In short, I've seen worse movies in this genre.

Another variant of ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, except that some fifty years after the original this looks and feels cheaper than ever and makes the Carpenter film look like a big budget epic by comparison. Here, the cast is whittled down to just half a dozen characters, the villains are little seen, and a lot rides on the strength of the leading character. Thankfully, Amuka-Bird is up to the task of creating a sympathetic lead, glossing over some of the character cliches to deliver a character which is both resilient and sympathetic. The action is less well handled and it's all a little too dark and too slick, but it's watchable enough for a B-thriller.