As They Continue to Fall (2016)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Highly Overrated But Still Good

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

From the opening scene to the last words uttered, this short film captivates and excels. The cinematography sets up a bleak portrait of a lonesome survivor, fighting tirelessly in a future dystopia. Rather than bombard you with unnecessary backstory, the writers of this film instead invite you to create your own scenarios that could have led to such a dark future. The one flashback sequence brings up images of a boy possessed with a power he can't understand, leading others to call him crazy. This was enough backstory to have me running through possible situations and explanations for everything else I saw in the film.What stands out most to me in this film is how well the effects resonate with the overall tone of the film. Normally seen as guardian figures, the angels in this are dark and downright scary. That, along with a very convincing lead role, set up an entirely believable and immersive world. I can only hope that this becomes a full length production, as there are many questions and ideas that come to mind when the six minutes are over. All in all, one of the best short films I've seen and I will be keeping an eye out for more!

As They Continue to Fall does everything a short film should do. It gets across the story in under ten minutes and provides a deeper meaning behind what is presented. There is obviously some real talent at work here, both in the direction and the writing. There is very little I can see was wrong about the short. Aside from the sub-par angel costumes, everything looks very professional, from the lighting to the colour grading, and could easily have been part of a high-budget feature film. There are some great shots in here, and I especially loved the colour choices in the child scene. The director clearly knows what he is doing, and there is strong talent behind him.I am aware the director is trying to turn this in to a feature film, and I really think he should. There is some great potential here for a fantastic film.

This short, penned by C. Robert Cargill (Sinister and the upcoming Dr. Strange movie), and directed by Nikhil Bhagat showcases stunning, gritty scenes that convey big budget visuals without seeming gaudy. The beautiful backdrop, a grimy, dystopian city, is offset by the gritty, minimalist dialogue that is only more compelling in its thrift. Bhagat uses the the camera the same way Cargill uses his words - sparingly - and the end result is better for it. It doesn't bombard you with unnecessary cuts or camera movement, but the action doesn't suffer. In fact, the action is amplified by the stillness through most of the short, making the up-tempo portions stand out that much more.The viewer is given a very clear sense of the world these characters live in without having to delve into an abundance of back story or explanation. The one flashback we get for explanation is like everything else, extremely concise. It gives just enough information to understand the action, but isn't so cut and dry that you can't imagine more. The potential for more context is there, but not required, allowing the story to still function as a short.All in all a great short film.

With their gritty take on a vagabond warrior confronting supernatural forces on the moonlit rooftops and filthy alleyways of the city, relative newcomer Nikhil Bhagat and "Sinister" scribe C. Robert Cargill have come together (along with John Henry "How-the-hell-isn't-this-guy-in-everything?" Whitaker) to bring to life a character and universe begging for a feature adaptation. With the film's combination of "The Book of Eli", "Dark City" and "Léon: The Professional", it's easy to see how such a project could have tremendous potential.It's a compelling portrait of the glamourless life of God's assassin that uses religious imagery without an overt political agenda. The film tells the tale of a weary soldier nobly resigned to his fate, getting by on what he can find in the trash and carrying out his assignments with a rifle that, much like him, is held together by rags. Though things move quickly, Bhagat lets his scenes breathe. He allows the audience to absorb the film's dingy atmosphere and Whitaker's imposing yet sympathetic presence.One particularly effective moment features an unbroken take that traps the viewer in the alley as Whitaker's Walker comes to collect his trophy. Though the camera stays firmly planted at a distance, it keeps the audience as a captive throughout the whole process. Bhagat's choice to use minimal audio enhancement instead of a score for the entire ordeal only adds to the impact of the moment. Whitaker's cold efficiency suggests that the brutality we've witnessed is common and familiar to our hero, though the act's questionable necessity makes you wonder how much of this is duty and how and much is revenge.Though just six and a half minutes, the film raises a lot of questions about the complicated motivations of our gruff-but-engaging protagonist and many concerns about the consequences of his actions. With Cargill's recent successes providing potential opportunity, let's hope he has the desire to go back and give this story the time it deserves. With any luck, this is just an introduction.