Sew Torn

Rating: 7.7 Overall, a very unique movie that uses sharp technicals, especially editing and cinematography, and fast-paced direction to create an engaging thriller as we see the same story told in three different perspectives.

Pretty Good to Good Direction (The direction on a macroscale is good to very good as he has a distinct fast-paced style that helps make this movie feel sharp and well executed (especially in the action-based scenes); the direction on a microscale is not the best as the performances felt a bit rigid, but you did get a sense of what the personal conflicts for the characters are; the storytelling is pretty unique as it is fast-paced, action-packed, and filled with a lot of action to make the movie feel like a thrill-ride; he builds tension well through the action-based scenes), Decent Acting (Decent to Pretty Good from Eve Connolly (Not given a lot in terms of dialogue, but she carries out the character well through her mannerisms and holds her own in the action-packed scenes), Decent from Calum Worthy, Pretty Bad to Decent from John Lynch (Is fine as a villain but there are noticeable moments where there is a lack of chemistry between him and the rest of the cast), Pretty Bad to Decent from K Callan (Feels just a bit out of place), Decent from the rest of the cast (Just minor characters)), Pretty Good to Good Story (The concept is unique as it visits the conflict in three different scenarios, and it does a good job at making the scenes feel fast-paced and filled with action; the plot structure is very overt as the movie is structured out into three different vignettes; the flow between sequences is decent, but the flow between storylines is a bit forced; the character writing is pretty void), Pretty Bad Screenplay (The dialogue is pretty bland and rigid as it doesn't feel natural, and it is pretty overt in some places; the symbolism is somewhat present (but not a key point for the movie); the foreshadowing is somewhat there (but the movie is just 3 vignettes from multiple angles)), Good to Very Good Cinematography (Really helped show how fast-paced the movie/editing was; used well in the action-based scenes (especially with the fast cuts)), Very Good Editing (The editing style is very fast-paced, borderline emulating Hip-Hop montages, as this helps build tension and make the thriller very engaging), Good Sound (Feels crisp and aids the action-scenes), Good Visual Effects, Pacing is pretty fast as it goes through 3 different scenarios (but this was intentional as the editing style helped make it more of a thriller), Climax in each of the three scenarios is carried out well and shows what would happen if the story played out that way, Tone is very similar to other action-thrillers (sometimes even feeling like a shootout movie like John Wick), Saw the world premiere at SXSW.

With this clever film, young director Freddy Macdonald delivers an astonishing feature debut. Everything seems to work in this piece, from strong cast performances to an insane level of detail regarding the resourceful thread skills of Barbara, the main protagonist. As she encounters a botched drug deal and has to decide what to do, we follow her on paths that lead to different outcomes. The brilliant script by father-son duo Freddy and Fred Macdonald, beautiful cinematography by Sebastian Klinger and overall superb production design make for a fun, entertaining ride that keeps you engaged throughout its 90+ minute runtime. Eve Connolly, the lead actor, is definitely someone worth watching out for.

Before reviewing this movie I just need to say something about another reviewer, curtispeace, that scored this movie with a two after only watching a couple of minutes of this movie. How can anybody take you seriously? Rating a movie you didn't event watch, why would you waste your time and most importantly our time at writing a review that will take you longer than the time you actually spent on watching the movie? It's beyond ridiculous. I will never understand why negative people have to bash something just to get attention. That said I watched the movie until the end, like I do with all the movies by the way, bad or good. The cinematography was the best thing about Sew Torn, interesting shots for the entire movie. The acting wasn't bad either. The story on the other hand has to be taken not too seriously as every scenario, there are like three, is too ridiculous for words. But it's watchable because of all the other positive things mentioned before.

It was original but I didn't enjoy it; offbeat to the point of being static. Fans of intricate problem solving by way of needle and thread will love it.

I realise my reviews are not allowed to be as succinct as I would like, due to imdb's minimum length requirement...

Please ignore the following waffle that attempts to fill the remaining required characters, while acknowledging that reviews can perhaps be just as effective with fewer words. Really, I should use needle and thread contraption to type this, though I fear that may be interpretted as critique of the movie rather than placeholder.

Very original story, great acting and an exciting cinematography. Highly recommend! The Swiss scenery is just stunning. Whoever came up with the ideas of threads (an integral part of the story, but you have to see it for yourself) is one creative fellow! What would you do if you came across a drug deal gone bad? That is the main protagonist Barbara's lifechanging task. Another perk of the movie are the two female supporting characters: a middle-aged bride and a cop long past the regular retirement age. You're in for some laughs with these ones! I can't wait to see what's coming next from this creative film team!