TL;DR – A film that is trying to tell an interesting story but is held back by its narrative.     

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene

Warning – Depicts scenes of abuse

Review –

One of the most important things about a film is its narrative. It ties the characters, events, action, drama, well everything together. While the narrative can be a core driver in how successful a film can be, it can also be affected by other elements in the movie for better or worse. Today we look at a film that presents an interesting narrative that unfortunately fails due to a single action of one of its characters.     

So to set the scene, we open with Nick Heirs (Cody Carter) making his way back through the town. He just got released from prison after spending ten years behind bars. Living with his cousin Mark (Carlo Campbell), Nick has to navigate the difficulties of getting a job and working through parole requirements all while living with the ramifications of his past.

One area where things don’t quite work as well as the others are in the back and forth between the different characters. I am not sure if the problem is the edit or in the performances but some of the conversations come of feeling stilted. It also shows why the sound mix is so important because it if does not work, it shows.   

However, the big problem comes from the story and its focus on its lead Nick. The film is consistently positioning him in a way that we are meant to be sympathetic. He is the point of view character, after all. However, the film also depicts him as an utterly irredeemable character, in this case murdering his partner in a jealous rage. So while it does suck that he is caught up in things outside of his control and it gets worse as the film goes on. As an audience member, I don’t really care because of what he did and still does.  This, unfortunately, undermines the entire narrative thrust of the film.  

One area where things don’t quite work as well as the others are in the back and forth between the different characters. I am not sure if the problem is the edit or in the performances but some of the conversations come of feeling stilted. It also shows why the sound mix is so important because it if does not work, it shows.   

However, the big problem comes from the story and its focus on its lead Nick. The film is consistently positioning him in a way that we are meant to be sympathetic. He is the point of view character, after all. However, the film also depicts him as an utterly irredeemable character, in this case murdering his partner in a jealous rage. So while it does suck that he is caught up in things outside of his control and it gets worse as the film goes on. As an audience member, I don’t really care because of what he did and still does.  This, unfortunately, undermines the entire narrative thrust of the film.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Last Shot
Directed by – Terrence Arlyn
Written by – Terrence Arlyn
Cinematography by – Anthony Berenato Jr.
Edited by – Anthony Berenato Jr.
Production/Distribution Companies – Arlyn Entertainment & Vision Films
Starring – Cody Carter, Christian Ramos, Dominic King, Carlo Campbell, Deja Gilmore, Kevin McDaniels, Chris Cream, Melanie Dipiero, David Sandridge, Mary Arlynda Vermell, Terrell Elias, Jason Holland & Kiona Golden
Rating – Around an Australia: M;