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CINEMA
PROPERTY OF GRAVITAS VENTURES
Movie Review
CASUAL
Published: 01.10.21
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MPAA: NR
Genre: Drama. Mystery. SciFi.
... an impressive debut piece.
RELEASE: 01.12.21
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GO / DON'T GO (2021)
OPENING THOUGHTS:
A triple threat from Alex Knapp who wrote, directed and starred in the film, Go/Don’t Go follows Adam, the last man on Earth, as he questions if there is anyone else left out there.
DIRECTION:
The direction within the film is strong, with only one subject on screen for the majority of the runtime Knapp makes great use of detailed close-ups adding to the confusion – are these important or has Adam truly lost his mind?
Threading flashbacks from the before time add to this tension. The audience are constantly left wondering if these are real or imagined moments, with Knapp cleverly eking them our slowly.
Though it comes towards the end of the film, the bowling alley sequence is jubilant. Spanning a wide range of emotions in a matter of minutes, with just one cast member and amazing shot choices, the film is at its best in these montage style moments.
PLOT:
The plot was very basic and straightforward. Eve runs into the wolf at a nightclub, where he convinces her he’s a stand up guy. She agrees to go home with him, but when things get sketchy and a second guy shows up she leaves. However, they continue to stalk her the rest of the night. It eventually turns into a game of cat and mouse throughout the woods; it’s very solid storytelling. Despite the fact that a lot of it takes place in the woods, I wasn’t bored or finding myself wondering ‘when will this end.’ I was enthralled and deeply invested in making sure this girl made it out alive.
ACTING | CHARACTERS | DIALOGUE:
Writer/Director Knapp stars as Adam. Whilst not a ground-breaking performance, he does a great job within the tough circumstance of spending 95% of the film’s runtime completely alone.
The absence of other cast members is felt throughout, which in some ways is an example of how well this feeling of isolation and loneliness has been captured on film, but it also means at times the film can drag until the next short flashback to see loved ones like K and Kyle.
VISUAL EFFECTS | MAKEUP | DESIGN:
The town Adam inhabits is eerily empty, capturing the uncomfortable silence through abandoned cars, empty shopping aisles and Adam’s red X marks across doors. At a certain point within the film when Adam has an accident, the wound design is spot on and leaves his face an uncomfortable sight.
MUSIC | SCORE | SOUND DESIGN:
A solid soundtrack with the music choices in the previously mentioned bowling scenes as well as a shed scene particularly standing out. Where the sound design really stands out is in its use of diegetic noise. Any noise be it the rustle of paper, the scratching of something in the background, the noise of a glass is so abrasive and unsettling, just as it would be in such a silent world. A noise marks change, good or bad.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
Go/Don’t Go is an interesting enough watch with the concept of isolation and madness something we all know a little too well these days. It doesn’t quite hold the attention for its full run time but is nevertheless an impressive debut piece.
GO/DON'T GO comes to VOD / On-demand - January 12th
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CONCLUSIVE VERDICT:
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