Those Who Walk Away – Movie Review
94 Minutes, Unrated
Written by Spencer Moleda, Aaron Pollack, and Robert Rippberger
Directed by Robert Rippberger
Synopsis:
After Max and Avery meet on a social media app for a first date, they end up at a haunted house only to realize the trauma they share may either save them or erupt into an unforgettable nightmare.
Filmed in a series of long, continuous takes (and presented as a single continuous take, a la Birdman), Those Who Walk Away plays out on screen like a weird Tinder date between damaged people, though only one of those two actually acknowledges how they see themselves as damaged.
About halfway through, the tone shifts into weird, cursed-family, supernatural film, and we finally learn which member of our couple is more damaged.
The first/blind date banter between Booboo Stewart and Scarlett Sperduto is often painful to watch, not only because this is done is one take and it feels improvised, but if it isn’t improv, then it’s pretty lousy dialogue.
At points, one or the other of the characters in a scene will be moved out of frame, and one can only assume they’re taking a quick peek at their lines or the story summary for the next segment.
Again, either way, it’s not working.
And don’t get me started on what happens once they get to the “haunted house.”
That’s not to say that there’s not the germ of a good story here, but I think the ambitiousness of the director — in terms of how he decided to shoot it — completely destroyed any hope of pulling it off.
The actors are trying their best, but in the end, it’s just too big an ask.
This is not Birdman-level construction or execution.
Not even close.
Those Who Walk Away is now available in select theaters and on VOD.
Those Who Walk Away stars Booboo Stewart, Scarlett Sperduto, Nils Allen Stewart, Grant Morningstar, Devin Keaton, and Bryson JonSteele.
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