by Cookie N Screen
Nearly a year ago, I’m With Geek were insanely lucky to feature a great short film from prominent filmmaker Josh Crooks. This short, named One Bad Day, focused on Batman as he dealt with an enemy from his past and an enemy within himself. Whilst the sound editing was slightly off, the stellar acting and enticing story sent waves through the I’m With Geek community and left us a little bit excited for what Crook’s had next. Fear no more, as we look at the next is Crooks’ wheelhouse – Narcissists
Nearly a year ago, I’m With Geek were insanely lucky to feature a great short film from prominent filmmaker Josh Crooks. This short, named One Bad Day, focused on Batman as he dealt with an enemy from his past and an enemy within himself. Whilst the sound editing was slightly off, the stellar acting and enticing story sent waves through the I’m With Geek community and left us a little bit excited for what Crook’s had next. Fear no more, as we look at the next is Crooks’ wheelhouse – Narcissists
Narcissists is a futuristic neo-noir movie set around three stories that convienently come together. A police officer who has used the law to his own will and sometimes to aid his companions. However, underneath this tough exterior is a dark secret that comes to life sparking his wife to leave him and his job to be threatened. A Private Investigator and ex-cop is on a mission to find a man who has disappeared but is connected to a dangerous woman. And Jonny Rotten, an ex-solider now gangster who has enticed the men this far and landed them in troubled water. But is there a deeper and darker secret at play here?
Narcissists is a film that is brimming with stunning visual content. Crooks, here, has a keen eye for imagery that works. Chopping different colours and themes to each of the three stories, Narcissists is drenched in this somewhat exquisite eye. This use of pallete for each character and the dreamscape visuals impacts your viewing experience in a great way. It’s wonderful beautiful, with somewhat interesting and excellent work being displayed. Crooks is very clever in enhance the intensity of this futuristic neo-noir flick and his greatest skill comes from the aesthetics of the piece.
Narcissists is a film that is brimming with stunning visual content. Crooks, here, has a keen eye for imagery that works. Chopping different colours and themes to each of the three stories, Narcissists is drenched in this somewhat exquisite eye. This use of pallete for each character and the dreamscape visuals impacts your viewing experience in a great way. It’s wonderful beautiful, with somewhat interesting and excellent work being displayed. Crooks is very clever in enhance the intensity of this futuristic neo-noir flick and his greatest skill comes from the aesthetics of the piece.
Unfortunately, the rest of the components do not follow suit. Though there is the basis of a great story is there, its convolution never comes together or feels entirely slick. The script is thick with clichés and confusion, bouncing from one story to the next without any coherency. Alongside it, is some pretty hammy acting which for most of the time feels off. When most of the cast aren’t gruffing along to the somewhat sloppy dialogue, they are either shrieking or gurning. The best actor here is Kevin Mathurin as the Private Investigator, able to level the pain of his past and the intriguing woman is life with enough gusto to feel real despite the setting (dystopian future.)
Add this to the off sound editing that cuts and starts at different volumes and Narcissists falls a little bit below average to be entirely enjoyable. When it works, it really hits and you can see the glistening potential from Crooks and his team. But those moments are very few and it becomes a rather lacklustre affair. It’s a shame because it isn’t like there isn’t talent here. It is just far too underdeveloped to form an excellent movie, which it could most definitely do if more elements were focused and had a little more time spent on them.
(This review is based on an unfinished edit of the film given to us by the director)
Add this to the off sound editing that cuts and starts at different volumes and Narcissists falls a little bit below average to be entirely enjoyable. When it works, it really hits and you can see the glistening potential from Crooks and his team. But those moments are very few and it becomes a rather lacklustre affair. It’s a shame because it isn’t like there isn’t talent here. It is just far too underdeveloped to form an excellent movie, which it could most definitely do if more elements were focused and had a little more time spent on them.
(This review is based on an unfinished edit of the film given to us by the director)
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