Echo 8

Although Echo 8 may not be a terrific film, it's still quite an achievement when taking into consideration all the limitations the filmmakers had to face and the amount of jobs each crew member undertook by themselves. In regards to Tran, I highly doubt you will see any other filmmaker this year starring, directing, producing, editing and choreographing the fights of their own movie.

Mainstream viewers may be put off by the obvious low budget, and even I would have to admit that it is an obstacle. Still, there is a lot to admire here and would be a perfect film for any potential filmmakers to show what can be done on limited finances.

2023 looks like it should be a good year for Tran. Not only does she have Echo 8 due for release, she also has a supporting role in the upcoming television series Last King of the Cross (2023), where she will be acting alongside the likes of Tim Roth, Matt Nable and Callan Mulvey. Hopefully this will open up Tran to a wider audience, and I look forward to seeing what films she can come up with in the future when giving a larger budget.

When I stumbled upon this 2024 movie, I initially thought it was a sci-fi movie, given the movie's cover. And since I had never heard about the movie, I didn't know what I was in for. Of course I had to check it out and opted to give the movie a fair chance.

I must say, though, that I'm usually a bit hesitant about movies that are directed by people also starring in the movie. And such was the case with "Echo 8", as it was directed and starring both Takashi Hara and Maria Tran.

The storyline in the movie was pretty straightforward. Sure, it was watchable, but it was a bit too much on the simplistic side, and that made "Echo 8" feel a bit subpar. And the sluggish narrative didn't really do much to put the audience at the edge of their seats. Writer Elizabeth H. Vu didn't exactly put together the most riveting and thrilling of storylines.

Actually I wasn't familiar wit a single actor or actress on the cast list. And the acting performances in the movie were, for the most parts, fair enough. But there were moments and performances that felt forced and unnatural.

There is a fair amount of action in the movie to help make it more bearable to sit through the 95 minutes that the movie ran for. It was a watchable movie, albeit a bit on the bland side.

My rating of "Echo 8" lands on a four out of ten stars.

Badass indie action film from Western Sydney? Sign me up!! A solid directorial debut from action power couple Maria Tran and Takashi Hara, Echo 8 is a great case study for microbudget and fast-paced filmmaking.

Writer Elizabeth H. Vu finds unique and interesting ways to put more meat on the bones of a typical assassin plot, resulting in strong emotive performances from Maria Tran and Gabrielle Chan, and an interesting dynamic with Agent 5, portrayed by Takashi Hara. David Vuong shines bright with his charisma and likeable character, and Maria Tran proves that she is a star, showcasing her range from scenes where she is a stoic action hero, to lighter and more comedic moments.

This film wears it's humble shoe-string budget on it's sleeve, sometimes in ways that are less than ideal, but the film's smooth pacing and spectacle help distract and keeps the audience captive. It should also be noted this film was shot in a rather short time frame during the COVD-19 pandemic, and what has been achieved should really be commended, particularly towards the film's camera department. Perhaps the film could've benefited from a little more polish, but there is a particularly impressive fight sequence in an car park which really gets the blood pumping - hoping for more action sequences of this caliber from the future instalments ""FIVE BY FIVE" and "ECHO 8 BEYOND".

Ultimately, Echo 8 is yet another strong example of the amazing talent from Western Sydney, and a testament to how collaboration, talent, creativity and elbow grease can result in amazing works of art. Congrats to Maria Tran, Takashi Hara and crew!

Honestly, Echo 8 didn't exactly grab me with the poster-it looked like your average low-budget indie trying to be more than it is. So I went in with zero expectations... and ended up getting completely blindsided.

Yeah, it starts slow. But give it 15-20 minutes, and suddenly you're hooked into a story that blends solid action with surprising emotional depth. And get this-it was made on a $10K budget. Ten grand. That's insane. The cinematography, fight choreography, and overall production quality are way better than most indie action flicks I've seen with ten times the budget.

Maria Tran leads the charge with a calm, focused energy that works well for her character. Her scenes with the co-star actually land-they've got decent chemistry and some solid back-and-forth that adds charm without forcing it. The writing isn't perfect, but it knows what it's trying to do and hits the mark more often than not.

Echo 8 isn't trying to be a blockbuster-it's an indie film with guts, a bit of heart, and a team clearly giving it their all. If you're into scrappy underdog action films that aren't just mindless brawls, it's absolutely worth a look.

The movie's premise is good; a good idea.

The opening is good, the mother's performance is note worthy and believable.

The rest can be better, very caricature-ish acting, in particular the scene at the beginning of the karaoke place, the winy older man with the suitcase on the floor, the commander in the office etc.

A low budget film is evident in the shots and no named actors. With more money and a good cast and story, Echo8 would do better on the world stage. The fighting at the end is good. Again the mother's performance is striking and real. The fighting is good and worth to watch. Cheers mate.