Mar 21, 20192 min read

90 Feet From Home film review

★★★

Directed by: Brent Bentman

Starring: #ShawnMichaels, #EricRoberts, #AdamHampton, #ThomHallum, #AllieDeBerry, #StevenMichaelQuezada, #DeanCain

When Scott Conway, played by Adam Hampton, returns to his hometown in Texas in Brent Bentman’s latest film 90 Feet From Home, his painful past catches up with him as he confronts his abusive step-father Jimmy Devine, played by WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels.

The opening section of 90 Feet From Home follows Scott Conway as a teenager and a promising baseball player. His abusive step-father constantly tries to belittle him and is violent with him.

Teachers at school have begun to notice the bruising and other injuries inflicted upon Scott, while it appears that his brother Tommy is his step-father’s favourite. Their mother is trapped within this abusive relationship too and tension reaches boiling point when Scott is prevented from pursuing his dreams as a talented baseball player. He leaves home, and fifteen years passes before he returns. The remainder of the film follows Scott’s return to his home after his mother has passed away and he has had to stop playing Major League Baseball due to injury, as he confronts his abuser and attempts to reconnect with his brother and his hometown. The thrilling question which surrounds the film is whether Scott will find peace by enacting revenge on his step-father.

In the early scenes, it takes a while before the acting feels natural. However, as the film progresses the acting develops and becomes more realistic, enabling the development of these characters to become more realised and integral to the plot. Adam Hampton as the older Scott carries the film, along with Thom Hallum as the older Thomas Conway.

The #cinematography in 90 Feet From Home reinforces a naturalistic feel and the picturesque Texas landscape highlights the isolating sense that Scott will feel trapped once he returns to his home where the past consumes the present. The long takes used are effective as the camera holds on the characters faces, drawing you in to their conversations with others and makes you feel their reactions. This works best during the intimate conversations captured throughout the film, as the camera frames the participants as if the viewer is prying on what is taking place. The slow and hazy camera movements reinforce the quietness in the film, which juxtaposes the tension, anger and pain bubbling beneath the surface, as Scott has to decide whether revenge is the best way to disconnect himself with his past.

The interrogation and climax of the film takes a long time to come around and the pacing does drag at times, however, 90 Feet From Home is a quietly confident film which feels real.

Watch the official movie trailer for 90 Feet From Home below.