4.5
With VR technology finally becoming something consumers can experience with the release of the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and, to a lesser extent, Samsung Gear VR, it seems only fitting that we would start getting films that paint a picture of what our future could be like if this technology explodes into the mainstream and evolves into something much more than a simple device to play games and watch media.
6.5
Dru Brown’s Australian crime drama The Suicide Theory is an interesting character piece that frames ideas about life, death and fate around an endearing premise. The film begins simple enough with a desperate man hiring a cold and remorseless hitman in order to kill himself, having not had much success on his own. The catch here is that the man is apparently incapable of dying. The two men eventually form a bond, and their tragic pasts converge in a gripping and satisfying way.
6
The story at the heart of Sand Castles could be ripped from the headlines. A young girl is abducted by a sex offender and held captive for more than a decade. Some films would focus on the abduction, the search for the kidnapped girl, and/or the apprehension of the perpetrator (for example, see Prisoners). However, Jordon Hodges’ screenplay deals with the girl’s return and what that means to her and her family.
5
The world of academia is incredibly ripe for real-life drama. I should know, I spent more than a decade in it. So, too, did director Miles Doleac before he took to acting a few years ago. His immaturity is evident in his first all-consuming project – The Historian – which he also produced, wrote and directed. With a meandering script and a heavy amount of overacting, it is easy to argue that Doleac is not in the same class as other triple threats like Woody Allen. But for a first-time attempt, it's not a total loss.
