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★★★
Directed by: #SeatonLin
Written by: Seaton Lin
Starring: #LexiMoeller, #ChaseMcGuire, #MeganLee
In Seaton Lin’s directorial debut Rumour from Ground Control, Lexi Moeller plays Erika Graesen, an investigative reporter with a troubled past.
In this neo-noir #thriller, Erika is researching a classified mission which resulted in a crew of astronauts being killed. The film begins with Erika meeting a secret source who provides her with footage that proves there is more to this disaster than first appears, and he suggests that corruption is at the heart of it all. Erika’s editor warns her good reporting isn’t shaping up to her metrics. She is a talented researcher yet gets the lowest traffic on her articles. The partners will let her go as they aren’t just interested in her talent for a good story; she needs to deliver on her metrics. Rumour from Ground Control follows Erika and her cameraman Jeffrey, played by Chase Mcguire, as they chase leads and find themselves getting closer to the truth. Erika’s determination to uncover what has been going on comes down to the fact that this story is the same as the one which her father reported on before he was murdered.
The strong acting from the lead and the rest of the cast means it becomes easy to be drawn into the story from the get go and the story they are investigating seems believable. Lexi Moeller’s performance in particular is effective in portraying Erika’s determination and her detachment, as she seems to be completely focused on the job at hand yet the viewer isn’t given access to her inferiority. It is hard not to admire the character of Erica; a woman who is determined to get to the heart of a story, and inform the public of what is really going on.
The #cinematography is engaging and the use of shadow in certain scenes reinforces the neo-noir influence. There are some haunting sequences of images involving memories of Erika’s father and her imagining his death involving fire which are evocative and fully capture how her past and pain are interlinked, and how her past fuels her determination and her drive to uncover the truth about what is really going on.
However, the complex plot can feel quite convoluted and difficult to piece together. There are lots of characters involved, some still being introduced over an hour into the film’s running time, and the film requires some deciphering to fully grasp the intricacies of the mission and the corrupting forces involved.
Rumor from Ground Control is a well-acted and detailed debut feature film which is both hard to pin down and hard to forget.
ABOVE: the official #movietrailer - Rumor from Ground Control is now playing on Prime Video.
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