Cold Cross

Let me start out by saying that I'm not the world's biggest western fan; generally, they all really blend together for me and aren't very remarkable.

But this film, which was produced in Indiana on a shoestring budget, has a special blend of intrigue, action and biblicism that it really set itself apart.

Let's address something, before going further: as I noted, this isn't a Hollywood production-it was made by someone from the Indianapolis area as a follow-up to an award-winning short film. But you wouldn't know it; the production quality is extraordinary. Even more incredible, it's also director Dylan Query's first feature-length film. So, too, is it lead actor and writer Jacob Stieneker's. For neither of them, though, would you know it.

(I should also note here that while I do not know Query, I do know his fiancé. But I put my love for movies above most all else-ask my wife-so that's playing no role in this review.)

This film is at its heart about revenge, and the pains people take to get it, even if it might ultimately leave them hollow.

It is one of the most beautifully shot movies I've seen this year, and it is fantastically written. The actors-many of whom, like Stieneker, are making their feature-length debut-fit their roles well and really rose to the occasion.

While there were a few editing choices that I might have made differently, and some of the pacing felt uneven (particularly in the film's first half), it was a strong production-one that carried suspense and titillation throughout. It's certainly a movie worthy of the big screen treatment it's getting over the next few week's, just as much as some of the bigger studios' films I've seen lately.

This movie isn't playing widely right now, though the production crews are working to change that. I hope they do, because it's certainly worth giving it a shot.

SCORE: 8.5/10 (From someone who is not a big western fan, I advise that if you have a chance to see it, you should.)

It is good to see talented people developing their own stories

Positives

Cinematography is very good. Clarity of the shots are very good

Audio. Nothing to complain about.

Editing. Very good.

Negatives.

1. Story was confusing and lacked focus. The scenes were hard to understand, follow, and lack connection.

Lines were choppy. To much exposition. Scenes did not have a good tempo. I found myself distracted and not focused on the story.

The movie didn't engage me. It lacked the ability to draw me in.

Overall, the movie seemed like several trailers put together to make a story. I could not see the connections well.

All movies draw you in to the main character. It was hard to determine right away who the main character was.

I have seent this pattern before. The production value is great but the time that needs to be taken on the script, the tempo, the actors, and story progression is lacking. This could have been a great story. My insite on this was that there were few people in the creative decision area and little effort to take time in story development. The talented skills in movie production are there. The time to develop the scenes and direct the actors was limited.

I look forward to seeing what's next for this up and coming production company. They have create potential and I wish them well.

What a great film! It's really impressive to see what the crew was able to achieve visually in a low budget independent film. I've never been a huge Western fan but the cast and crew really brought this story to life. It includes great storytelling, strong acting performances and a really great original soundtrack. It is quite the impressive debut effort from Dylan Query and his production company (check out the short film prequel "Cold Creek" if you haven't already). Jacob Stieneker delivers a star performance and clearly has a bright future ahead of him.

Looking forward to whatever big things come next from Query Productions!

This IS the film to watch! I highly suggest you check out this movie.

It's got everything...action, suspense, love, & tragedy.

The story line was great! You felt like you quickly knew the characters and became close with them. Each having there own righteousness and emotional reasons for the actions they took. Leaving you wondering what the end would behold.

The audio was on point, especially when I discovered that some of the sound effects for the movie were actually made by the director, main actor, and audio crew. Purchasing musical instruments similar to that which would be in that era, so it would not only sound authentic for that time period but bring a genuine western flare to the movie.

Not to mention, every musical piece you hear was written and recorded by the main actor, his brothers, and in some cases even the director, specifically for this film.

For this to be the first feature length film this young director/editor produced, I absolutely can not wait to see what is next! The hard work, and dedicated time put in to this film shows. This young man has basically produced a Hollywood film on a shoestring budget. Watch out Stephen Spielberg, Dylan Query is on his way!

First of all I'm a fan of Westerns such as The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven, Tombstone and the like. This movie is right up there with them and is a very dark tale on the cycle of revenge. It was well written and the cinematography, music, and acting is just as good as anything coming out of Hollywood. Considering the budget Query Productions had to work with makes this accomplishment even more astonishing. This proves there is talent outside of Hollywood even without the multi million dollar budget.

This movie is worth a watch to see what can be done on a shoestring budget. It is just as good or better as some of the stuff I've seen on several streaming platforms. This is just the beginning for Query Productions and everyone involved in the film and I can't wait to see what comes next. Congratulations on a fantastic film!