Young Lion of the West

The beginning was the typical Joey we all know from Netflix...loud flirtatious and Nick Donato is a character you can label and Judge just from looking at him. The film later turned a little dark and seeing it flip on real life scenarios from him being a junkie and finding out he has a kid. I did like the scenes of what he envisioned and would have liked to happen seeking help from his father, then reality hit and showed you that people have limits and give people chances until they reach a breaking point. The suicide with his mother is relatable being I had lost a family member to suicide. It had great real life topics people can relate to. The storyline could have flowed a little bit better , but for the budget that this film was made, it was a decent watch. Looking forward to seeing Joey Sasso in future movies. Even if it's guest appearances or something that isn't a main character in a movie, I feel he has a lot to offer and he shows he.

I cannot believe this film was made for only $13,000. The acting, editing, storyline, directing, producing, extras! Wow! I love how the main actor is able to possess so many different persona's! It's such a raw movie with delicate topics in today's society! The story is powerful. You definitely feel a lot of different emotions as you progress through the journey of Nick. Who he is, and how he transitions is genius! His confidence is contagious! This movie is completely relatable on so many levels for the viewer. I'm from the 585 and it is awesome to see all the places highlighted in the film! BRAVO to the entire cast and crew!

Even if you're not a fan of Netflixes Blockbuster TV game show The Circle and its first winner, the lead actor Joey Sasso, you're still going to appreciate this compelling Tale of a Rochester, New York kid from the streets trying to make something of himself while still keeping his head above water amidst all the decadence, debauchery and mayhem that the dark side of life has to offer. For a low budget independent film, this has amazingly high production value. There were only maybe two scenes where the sound could have been a little bit better. However, for most of the entire movie the camera angles, the sound, the lighting, the pace of the story and an obviously great editing job holding it all together were top notch. Really, it's a great work by the whole crew involved with this movie. I would have given it another star for a total of eight if during the intro they took a little more time establishing why you should care or give a damn about the lead character Nick Donato. I think that would have brought a little more investment into the story as a viewer. But that's just a little nitpick comment, I really did enjoy this film. I'm looking forward to their next production. -Matt the Cat aka @Chicago. Shogun on Instagram.

A solid film through and through: great writing, story, characters, dialogue, acting, music, etc. The grittiness and high tension were perfectly balanced with both genuinely funny and soulful moments.

I really appreciated how the story deviated from the typical story arch and unfolded in a unique way that still held my interest. Too often indie films fail by trying to reinvent the wheel or by sticking to something predictable ...but this felt fresh, like the film could go anywhere and I was down for the ride. It's nice to find films like this which show how formulaic Hollywood can sometimes be. This one feels different. It's a wild ride. But in a good way. I was completely engrossed until the very end.

Been anticipating this movie for a while now and it sure didn't disappoint. As a Rochester native i've been keeping up with Joey's career and he's been talking about this for a few years now. I was pleasantly surprised with how the story played out. Kept my attention just fine throughout! Loved seeing some Rochester staples mixed in throughout the movie as well. These guys seem hungry and authentic and I hope they keep pushing out work together. Can't believe they were able to make this happen on such a tight budget and with limited resources and equipment. I was also surprised to see there was some established actors and actresses involved too! Definitely exceeded my expectations. Hopefully they do more work in Rochester!! Would be great for the blossoming film industry taking place in Western NY.