'Joel' (2018), directed and written by John R. Hand, is a film that manifests itself as the ultimate incompetence and lack of creative vision. It is a complete and utter aberration of cinema that not only fails in every technical and artistic aspect, but also demonstrates a total disregard for narrative and authentic representation.
From the first frame, the film sinks into a sea of endless errors. Hand's direction is a brutal exercise in mediocrity. Every shot seems to have been designed to torture the viewer, with framing that not only fails to create tension, but exacerbates the sense of hopelessness as he watches the film twist in its own incompetence. The director's ability to ruin atmosphere is so absolute that you wonder if he ever had a shred of understanding of how to make films.
The cinematography is a monumental catastrophe. The lack of color treatment makes every scene look flat and lifeless, while the handling of white balance is a true horror that will dazzle viewers with painful intensity. The close-ups, instead of generating claustrophobia, only reveal an endless series of technical and aesthetic errors that turn every shot into a visual horror show. The incompetence is so manifest that the film becomes a test of how to destroy the cinematic experience through careless production.
The production design is another example of absolute nonsense. Joel's house, with its absurdly modern designer furniture, is not only inappropriate but is an insult to logic. These furnishings not only break immersion, but underline the ridiculousness of the film, which seems to have been made with a total disregard for reality and historical context.
The sound is a disaster of epic proportions. The audio quality is so low that it makes the experience of watching the film even more torturous. Instead of using decent equipment, it seems that cheap tape recorders were used, producing a horrible sound that adds an extra layer of irritation to the viewer. The lack of professionalism in this aspect is so evident that it makes the rest of the production seem even worse.
One of the worst sins of 'Joel' is its total ignorance of the media impact of the Rifkin case. The film completely misses the opportunity to explore the media furor and the role that Joel Rifkin played in public culture as the prototype of the serial killer. Instead of delving into this rich narrative, the film drags itself through an hour and a half of bad acting, abysmal direction, and a pitiful presentation, only to end abruptly and pointlessly.
Arnold Odo, despite his physical resemblance, does not do justice to the role. His non-New York accent is a constant distraction that ruins the minimal immersion possible. The acting feels like a caricature and a mockery of the real character.
In short, 'Joel' is not simply a bad film; it is a total aberration. Every element of the production, from direction and photography to sound and design, is so poorly executed that the film becomes a brutal demonstration of what cinema should not be. It is a film that is not only useless and boring, but is an affront to any standard of quality. The only recommendation is to avoid it altogether and remember that 'Joel' is a painful reminder of how low cinema can fall when incompetence takes over the creative process.
