Sunday, November 23, 2014

Poker Night Deals the Ace of Spades: A Movie Review

*an online screener of this film was provided by XLrator Media.

Director/writer: Greg Francis.

Cast: Beau Mirchoff, Ron Perlman, Giancarlo Esposito, Corey Large, Titus Welliver and Halston Sage.

This reviewer has been patiently waiting for an opportunity to review Greg Francis' Poker Night, for over a year. This film, which was shot in this critic's hometown (Victoria, B.C.), is set to release in late 2014. Poker Night is a blend of genres, including those of: horror, crime thriller and even comedy. Though, the comedic moments are often very dark and involve the film's central killer. Poker Night is also well produced and the film offers a recognizable cast. This viewer enjoyed the complex story and many film fans will find something to like here.

In the story, Jeter (Beau Mirchoff) is a rookie cop, invited to a game or two of poker. His fellow co-workers and police detectives tell stories of life on the beat and Jeter listens intently. These stories and words of wisdom later help Jeter to fight a serial killer, who has kidnapped his new girlfriend, Amy (Halston Sage). The motivations of the kidnapper are also revealed through storytelling as this burgeoning serial killer moves closer and closer to achieving his goals: to have sex with little girls and to kill anyone who gets in the way of the first rule. Jeter is getting in his way.

There are a few instances of dark comedy in Poker Night. Most of the light humour comes for the central villain. You can see the killer's mania rising in an early scene as he does his best to live a normal life. But, a normal life for a sociopath is full of blunders and awkwardness. As well, "looking for girls" involves a scene of possible child abduction. But, the killer is too forlorn to capture and kill, in this surreal scene. Even the killer's goals are introduced in such a way as to create humour. This character does some soul-searching to find his true meaning in life. He finds a road of blood, where most people would choose travelling or picking up a new hobby. The film's central killer is bloodthirsty, but often the source of the film's darker comedic bits.

Poker Night utilizes a few genres to flesh out is story. There are elements of the horror genre here, along with elements of the crime thriller. The horror plot devices are mostly minor and involve scenes of kidnapping, torture and confinement. In one scene, Jeter is stuck to a wall, much like a fly on sticky paper. His escape from this predicament is difficult to watch. However, crime thriller plot elements are more prominent, in the film. The film's central story involves finding and identifying the serial killer. Also, what are his motivations? Jeter must use the wisdom of his fellow police detectives to determine how the murderer will act next. There are chase sequences and scenes of cops surveilling suspects. So, Poker Night is most resolutely set in the crime thriller genre.

The strongest film element in this title is the writing. The film's central story is very complex, because of the way the story is told. The film takes place on a couple of timelines. Much of the film is told through flashbacks, with the present timeline only introduced near the film's ending. There are flashbacks within flashbacks. So, the film is multi-layered. Though, events are rarely difficult to follow. Characters also have many different motivations. One detective is in search of his missing daughter, while another castigates Jeter for pursuing Amy. Even the relationships are complex. Thus, Poker Night has an intriguing story, which will draw in most viewers.

As well, Poker Night is well produced. From acting to directing styles, the film is made of quality. It is also interesting to see so many recognizable cast members here, including: Ron Perlman, Giancarlo Esposito, Corey Large and Lochlyn Munro. Director and writer Greg Francis must have pulled several strings, to bring together such a great cast. On the flip side there are a few too many interior shots. Much of the film is shot in a dark basement. Still, fans of film will find the visual display well shot, while the pacing keeps the story moving ahead quickly. Everything unravels as it should within Poker Night.

Poker Night will release December 5th, 2014 through video-on-demand and this title is for both fans of horror and of thrillers. Many of the sequences are exciting and still more are unpredictable. You can never tell what this killer will do next, or who he will harm next. The protagonist has his hands full with this villain. Also, the story elements have been fine tuned to provide a well developed screenplay. And, this viewer enjoyed seeing some of the local landmarks on film, along with the serial killer's penchant for creating laughter in the darkest of moments.

Overall: 8 out of 10 (the narrative bounces around a bit, each detective has his own intriguing story to tell, an open ending).

*the film will release in select theatres, on December 19th, 2014.

An early trailer for the film is available here:

A Poker Night Trailer on 28DLA

Poker Night at XLrator Media:

Poker Night Release Details at XLrator


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