by John Bizub, Contributing Writer
A new year means new movies, and that means new chances for independent filmmakers to make a name for themselves. Film festivals are a wonderful opportunity for up-and-coming directors to do just that, screen a project they are passionate about and what could they do better for their next film. South by Southwest is the latest festival to be fully virtual, which is a convenient offering for me, as I was able to allow myself to become involved via press credentials. I will review the films over the course of three days in three separate pieces.
See You Then
See You Then is a small-scaled conversation drama about two exes meeting up with one another after a long period of time, and catching up on major events since they have parted ways. They discuss the main changes in their lives from gender, marriage, children, and their dating lives. The film is carried by a phenomenal performance by its lead actors, alongside a tightly-written script. It is also well-shot and well-lit for the most part. My major issue with this film was the pacing. For a 74 minute drama, I felt a bit disinterested towards the middle of the film, making me question why this film was feature length and instead of a short film. While I do praise its character writing for the most part, I felt a bit disinterested in the character writing for the character of Naomi. We were supposed to sympathize with her while it gives the audience little to no room on doing so.
Grade: C
Potato Dreams of America
Potato Dreams of America is a colossal disaster of a film. It starts off strong and has a relatively cute and light-hearted story about a boy who is obsessed with filmmaking and coming to terms with his sexuality. It is accompanied by different styles to make this film stand out among the rest in the genre. However, the story feels very familiar to 2019’s Jojo Rabbit and some story ideas are being lost in the overall scheme of things. The characters feel a bit underdeveloped and only create depth for our main character and not the supporting cast. The biggest flaw in this film is the overall change in tone, emotion, and ideology halfway throughout the film. It feels like the second half of the film is directed by a completely different person and has completely different goals to fulfill, while also having some fairly offensive story ideas.
Grade: D
Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil
Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil is an honest, interesting, and tragic documentary about the rise, fall, and ultimate comeback of Disney Channel’s golden child star. Demi’s bravery of the story is very heroic and it is well-informed throughout. However, at times it comes off too preachy for what it is trying to achieve and has a hard time trying to separate itself from the other films in that genre. While the story is tragic and empathic, I felt a bit lost towards the beginning and at times has a hard time setting itself up. However, it does pick up towards the film’s middle section.
Grade: C
Broadcast Signal Intrusion
Broadcast Signal Intrusion is a future cult horror classic in the making! It feels like the perfect film a horror fan would love to watch on Shudder, and that’s not a bad thing! The story is very fresh and original and tries its hardest to not be anything too familiar or fall into any tropes. It is filled with a great central performance by Harry Shum Jr. and has visually pleasing cinematography and awesome VFX and make-up! What loses itself is the underdeveloped side characters alongside some weak dialogue. It is also bogged down by some tedious pacing in the second act.
Grade: B-