Sand Castles

First time after thousands of films, feeling the need to comment here. This film can simply be teaching material, how acting should not be like... Main character, Noah and especially his partner, Alison and then that detective... Hard to believe they're really casted by a professional, too bad!

In a sea of virtual oil spills for flicks, I have been watching a lot of foreign/indie films. Yes this is low budget, a bit old in movie world, but transcends its financial limitations through realistic ground in its telling. It's worth watching through to its bittersweet finale with more than one surprise revelation. I'm giving a high rating mainly because I don't believe this is a work of fiction, I believe it's someone's actual life story, and if it isn't, many elements of it ring with truth. If you need a blockbuster to be entertained Indie film viewing isn't for you.

Look hey is it the worst movie I've seen.. not by any stretch. There was some potential there but, to me, they wasted it.

The acting does in fact leave something to be desired and while I enjoy subtlety in a movie this one does not really give you quite enough to know what really is/did happen... Really some guesswork without any answers that actually make sense. Sure you want to do a piece about human unpredictability fine but to me this is the writers being unpredictable not the story.

In some ways I do get that people liked it and you may as well, but from my perspective it was quite drawn out and mostly focused on family dynamics and sort of tried, unsuccessfully, to tie it into a 'neat little bow'.. that's not so neat.

For free with sub on the thing which is very nice! I watched this on 2023 a few years after it came out but that's no matter for art can live on forever! And that is what this thing is a well-thought nice canard that does its job and does it well! Very nice! I went through all the reviews on here and one in particular stands out because it brought up a scene which the viewer disliked. The one when the cop makes a house visit and breaks everyone something proper like. I was like this is my fav scene. They said it wasn't warranted and that there would be repurcussions. But I think it was warranted for it was explained very well and what reprucurssions if no one finds out. I thought it was warranted because the cop explained himself and we also understand his connection to the victims. But ultimately this thing worked and it worked well! I loved the writing best of all! I think the main actor did a heck of a job penning this thing he should be very proud of the breadth and trying to do something instead of just following some formula which this is most definitely not thank-god cause that's boring owing to that formula being so stale. But the best part was the ending and how he left the thing a beautiful silent mediation on the actions and what all it does. It was just a great great job all around! I've got another one of his flics on queue for free on youtube which is always very nice and I'm about ready to watch it, thanks for the effort and trying to do something with this medium, cool job!

Ten years ago, little Lauren Daly (Anne Winters; Wicked City) was abducted while on a family trip to the beach. Devastated, the remaining family members spend the next ten years battling against alcoholism, depression, and suicide. Sand Castles depicts a tragic story of a lost childhood and the lives affected by that loss.

Ten years on and Lauren's brother, Noah Daly (Jordon Hodges), is taking care of his now alcoholic mother with help from his uncle Tommy (Randy Spence). Quick flashbacks reveal why Noah's father is no longer in the picture; an event that also took its toll on their family. The household is squeaking out a type of existence although it is clear that Lauren's disappearance hit them hard. But then they get a visit from the detective who has been on the case since he was a rookie. He informs them that they have found Lauren alive and it throws their new world for a loop.

Now a teenager and unwilling and/or unable to speak, Lauren tries to reintegrate into her broken family with the detective and a case worker looking over their shoulders. The case worker does her best to help Lauren, including taking her to a play based on a worn out book she carries around. But the presence of alcohol does not help. Lauren's mysterious return also re-energizes the investigation into her disappearance. Clint Howard co-stars as an eye witness who believes he saw Lauren getting dropped off where she was found; an account that leads Tommy down a dark, potentially heart breaking path.

The use of flashbacks is nearly perfect in this film. They tended to be short little clips introducing characters or circumstances just when that information is most useful. For example, when the detective is introduced, they have a quick flashback to him as a rookie getting the call of a missing person (Lauren). It's not too drawn out, gets the exposition out of the way, and keeps the story flowing at a decent pace.

Overall, Sand Castles is an interesting, emotional roller coaster. The characters are (mostly) likable and the actors are very respectable in their parts. The plot is depressingly believable and shows that your world can change in an instant both for the worse and for the better. I would have preferred a bit more closure regarding Lauren's kidnapping, but stick around during the credits for a bonus scene that does wrap up a few last threads of that mystery.

• Bradley Smith, Red Carpet Crash