It's no fault of his own, but it's safe to say that Greg Sestero's name carries a small measure of infamy with it. For anything he's done in his career, his collaboration with Tommy Wiseau on 'The room' is what he's best known for. What might a movie look like that he has written and directed, in addition to starring in? What level of sincerity should we expect from it?
There's an uncomfortable tension carving through 'Miracle Valley' as oddities and conflicts pile up of one form or another. There's also a certain lack of subtlety dancing around the edges, such as in the dialogue, sound design, and music cues, and arguably in the lighting and cinematography. Something feels Off about the film from the very start, and it's hard to get a grasp on whether it's an intentional unease about the course of events leading into the major turn, or an inelegance and indelicacy in how the picture is put together. It's not wrong to say that this is a little bit of a mixed bag, so maybe it's some Column A, and some Column B. For while this would benefit from being tightened in its writing and direction, as the narrative ramps up it carries a dark atmosphere adjoining its violence that's quietly enticing. When all is said and done, you know what? This is pretty fun!
While all aspects of the presentation would benefit from a tad more finesse in Sestero's direction - not least of all the acting - I nonetheless recognize a fairly firm command of the medium that he's obviously developed in the past 18 years or so. Independent movies exist on a wide spectrum of quality, and to me 'Miracle Valley' comes off as being in the upper middle of that range: imperfect, but sincere and hard-working after all, and satisfying. The production design and art direction are fairly strong, and while the special effects aren't the absolute best, they're quite suitable. More readily commendable are practical effects including blood, and any special makeup that's employed. Despite rough edges, I think overall this feature is quite well made - including, yes, the sound design, lighting, and cinematography; some cues aside, I rather enjoy Jimmy Lagnefors' score as it lends to the disquiet.
Just as importantly - as with his direction, there's a strength in Sestero's screenplay that in my mind far exceeds the assumptions we might have formed of him in the past two decades. The scene writing is especially vivid and detailed, more than enough to keep one's attention as the plot develops. Some story beats are perhaps a little too on the nose, certainly including the ending, but by and large I must say I'm kind of impressed. The tale is complete, coherent, and cohesive, not to mention compelling. There may not be any new ground broken as a horror-thriller, yet is well-written all around; I detect no apparent faults.
And so it is for the picture as a whole, really. The most concrete criticism I have to impart is a mild deficiency of polish; while noticeable, it's never so severe as to substantially detract from the viewing experience. The end result of all the effort is a genre film that's rather solidly made, and thoroughly enjoyable, to the point that the name behind the production scarcely even enters into the equation. What I think this really goes to show is how capable Sestero really is; if 'Miracle Valley' is any indication of where he is as a filmmaker, I can honestly say I'm looking forward to what he might do next. And if that's not praise, then I don't know what is.
