Connection

It's always impressive to see how a film can pull an audience through a story with only one or two locations, with a cast not much larger. Connection leads with a strong premise, though it falters in the middle as it struggles to investigate the core idea bolting it together. I personally found the key plot device of building tension to be far fetched (I won't say what exactly), and would have preferred something more realistic and contemporary - blackmail, online cancellation etc, to force the hand of the main character. Despite this, it packs a lot for a film just over an hour, with a satisfying twist you'll unlikely see coming. Worth a watch and I'm excited to see what the director does next.

Despite having only few locations and being dialogue heavy, the movie never gets boring. The story has mostly a good pace and tension and it keeps a balance between seriousness and levity. A good mix of different camera perspectives, with the occasional kidnapper POV, makes the most of the locations. I would have preferred more comedy, but enjoyed the story nevertheless. The 60-70 minutes flew by faster than expected.

What I liked (without spoilers):

• characters and story grounded in reality and not over the top or with an all-knowing antagonist
• nice power dynamic and contrast between control freak and a chaotic character
• good tension and story buildup (you keep wondering what is a lie and what isn't)
• some funny dialogues

What I didn't like:

• because of (dark) comedy in the description I went in expecting more of that
• the physical acting reminded me of theatre, which sometimes broke the immersion for me
• some minor dialogue and plot parts felt a bit unnatural and forced

If you liked the psycho thriller aspect of Saw but not the splatter, you will probably enjoy this movie.

I loved the film. It was thrilling, captivating and a total emotional roller-coaster. I couldn't wait to see what happens next and how is the story going to go.

One thing though, it was a bit boring in the beginning for me and made me question seriously if I would continue to watch it. To be honest, if I was on Netflix and that was the first 5 minutes I would have switched to another film. But I am glad that I stayed and continued watching.

The plot twist in the film in very well written and the story all in all is well written, acted and put together.

There were some moments where the acting was a bit "What is happening here and why is she like that" but other than that I would honestly give it a solid 8/10.

The lighting was good, the cuts of the scenes and the transitions made more enjoyable.

I think I would put it in the category of psycology, thriller, action (debatable but could be if the events were faster), and crime category as well.

Connection does a lot with its small cast and minimal locations, providing a strong example of using limitations to one's advantage. The acting for the two main characters is pretty well done, and the majority of their dialogue feels like a believable exchange given the circumstances. While there are some awkward lines and moments, they mostly feel in-character and thus don't detract too much from the experience. I will offer some criticism towards the overall narrative arc, as the antagonist's motivations aren't always clear. This compounds towards the end and leaves things feeling a little rushed. Overall though, Connection is an enjoyable watch that packs in a lot of material in its barely over an hour runtime.

The film has a solid concept and some great visual moments, but it struggles with tone and character consistency. It's caught between being a psychological thriller and a dark comedy, and that lack of clarity weakens the impact for me. I do wish they leaned into either the dark comedy aspect or the thriller aspect a bit more. The twist at the end was strong (I won't spoil anything), but I always appreciate a little surprise ending especially in a movie like this one.

I'd recommend this movie to fans of indie psychological thrillers who appreciate creative concepts and are okay with a few rough edges.