Director: Chase Conner
Production Company: Out Of The Barrel Productions
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 77 minutes
Budget: $20,000
Expected Rating: R for language and situations
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Trailer: Click Here
Online Rent: TBD
Online Purchase: TBD
Reviewer: Manuel Crosby
Final Score: 8.0 (out of 10)
For soldiers who have survived the horrors of war, coping with the psychological trauma back home can be its own battle. LessLOST, directed by Chase Conner, follows Luke (Shane Fike), a medically-retired U.S. Army soldier who must now readjust to civilian life. However, his mental stress continually worsens, so much that he becomes a threat to his wife, Jen (Heather Dodson), and young daughter (Leisa DeGeorge). Will Luke spiral downward under the burden of what he went through in combat, losing his family in the process? Or can a fellow veteran, Darien (Brandon Alexander), help him come to terms with his pain and begin to heal?
Story
Conner and his filmmaking team construct a solid, personal story. Instead of spreading the focus over too many characters, the movie strongly roots us in Luke’s journey. Shane Fike does an excellent job as Luke, conveying multiple facets of the character’s personality while expressing the intensity of his struggle to recover. The rest of the cast delivers good performances to match, especially Heather Dodson and Brandon Alexander. Their characters feel authentic as they deal with their own personal issues while forming or repairing bonds with Luke. In particular, the struggle of Luke and Jen to repair their family relationship strikes an emotional chord.
A nicely-structured script also pulls the story along. The choice of using flashbacks to gradually reveal what happened to Luke in war hooks the audience’s interest. Some viewers will find the outcome predictable; others will call it true to life and appreciate the lack of sensationalism. I can appreciate both perspectives. With that said, one writing complaint I did have is that, in some of the emotional scenes, the dialogue feels heavy-handed and undercuts the drama. Fortunately, in the majority of scenes, the filmmakers strike a decent balance between word and emotion.
At 77 minutes, this movie runs fairly short for a feature, and to be honest it could have supported more content. Luke’s road from rock bottom to healing makes sense, but it isn’t necessarily new territory for a film to cover. Had the filmmakers added a few more unexpected turns along the way, it would round out the story and also differentiate it from past movies that cover this same subject matter. Furthermore, the flashback scenes could have developed Luke’s relationships with his fellow soldiers more, creating an even stronger emotional hook.
Watchability
Very good technical production values really add to the quality of this film. Solid cinematography brings some stylistic flair without distracting from the story too much. When needed, hints of expressive lighting help paint the picture of Luke’s alienation, as well as his journey towards healing. Furthermore, the filmmakers utilize interesting editing techniques and rhythms, which often place the viewer inside of Luke’s unstable mental perspective. In addition, high quality dialogue recording and effective sound design help strengthen the on-screen story.
While the war-zone scenes feel handicapped by the micro-budget, the filmmakers do manage to capture critical storytelling moments for the flashbacks. Sound effects also help suggest a larger battle going on around the main characters. With that said, some added creativity in the staging, photography, and direction of these scenes would have made them feel more authentic, intense, and suspenseful despite the limited budget. (Some of the most terrifying scenes in films have been entirely with audio.)
How Far Did you Watch Through It:
100%
The film was well-paced, with an engaging story and good production values. It held my interest throughout.
Closing Thoughts
LessLOST takes viewers on an emotional journey through the trauma of Luke’s experiences in war, but also provides hope for his recovery through the love and friendship of those around him. It does leave a few areas under-explored; however, those looking for a personal, yet well-made and moving drama will appreciate this film.
Final Score:
8.0 – Worthy of a festival screening.
Manuel Crosby
Manuel Crosby is a filmmaker currently based in Northern California. As a cinematographer and editor, he works with other filmmakers throughout California. Also, as a writer and director he creates many short films available on his Youtube channel and at http://manuelcrosby.com/, including the western "Dead Man's Locket" and the thriller "Precaution". Finally, he is a longtime volunteer at Calaveras County Public Access Television. His feature length co-directing debut, a dark-comedy, coming-of-age thriller called "First Date", can be found in theaters this summer.