As a film, I AM THE EDGE doesn't bring forth anything that's particular new to the thriller genre. The plot is relatively straightforward and there's a lot that we've seen elsewhere. Mainly it's the idea of a successful, but currently struggling author brought into a situation that resembles the thrilling nature of their novels. Think of the times Stephen King has explored a similar theme for instance. Aside from the plot being more on the "safe" side (at least in terms of what director Michael Fredianelli tends to deal with), I AM THE EDGE is such an entertaining, suspenseful, and just generally well-made film (especially for a lower-budgeted indie) that its abundance of genre conventions throughout do not detract. In fact, the film's more straightforward nature is maybe one of the film's best assets as it's expertly executed and paced. It's less about what the story is here than how well it's told.
Serving as the film's director of photography again, Fredianelli makes a nice looking film with some really moody black and white cinematography. With the choice of color perhaps aiding in this, the film's special effects are virtually flawless and there are some real grizzly shots that played much more effectively than those used in a lot of massively budgeted Hollywood pics. The film is pretty consistently well acted with frequent Wild Dogs collaborator Jeremy Koerner getting his most screen time yet as the lead. Koerner's performance is a bit more understated than what we're used to seeing from him, but he carries the film well.
As a film, I AM THE EDGE is one of Fredianelli's best looking and best made movies. It's also the director's most successful go at telling a mystery type story in a suspenseful manor and delivering the plot-twists in a way that's satisfying to the viewer (MONEY FOR ANGELS and the hunter vignette in COIN come to mind as examples to the contrary). I AM THE EDGE will no doubt keep you entertained from beginning to end and ultimately leave you feeling satisfied.
