Blunt Force

Certain films have a brilliant premise but very little in the way of quality to fulfil that promise. ‘Blunt Force’ is one such film, taking a wonderful premise for a neat, tight thriller, and botching it. On paper the film reads like a classic thriller of yesterday. A tight 90s throwback, with a starry lead, questionable editing and plot twists that make you gasp. Instead, what is delivered is an underwhelming mess, lacking clarity, conciseness, and frankly any colour.

The film purports to being based on true events, a real case of blunt force trauma from 2002 in what appears to be midwest America. When that information is flicked on the screen at the start of the film, it is perhaps the singular moment of clarity throughout. The narrative is confused by design, yet it shouldn’t be this hard to decipher. Perhaps it is because it lacks thrills.

The narrative itself should be compelling. The fallout of a married couple’s attempts to murder their progressive congressman sounds like an instant classic, and indeed, it sometimes threatens to be, with little moments as the couple come to terms with their actions, offering tension and a sense of drama that is otherwise lacking.

For the most part, however, the film is muddled, and it is never quite clear the order of the events on screen. Is it linear, is it non-linear, we never find out. The couple's appearance at what appears to be a therapist or a nurse is similarly inexplicable. Looking beyond the confusion, it is still difficult to pick out strong elements from ‘Blunt Force’, with the script by Elijah Bigler, who also directs, stale and bland, never creating drama in of itself. Bigler’s direction similarly fails to excite, adding to the sense of overall boredom from ‘Blunt Force’.

That being said, credit should be given to the two leads, Karsten Tate and Brooks Ryan, who demonstrate real chemistry with one another as the married couple Amelia and Danny, and who make the most out of a weak screenplay. Tate in particular shows strength as the woman, Amelia, and grows in stature with her character as the film progresses.

‘Blunt Force’ is a film without flair, which comes as a real shame because it’s a concept full of promise. The failure of the film both in terms of screenplay and directing ultimately leave a mess, with strong performances from the two leads, Karsten Tate and Brooks Ryan, failing to elevate the film out of a monotonous state of confused dullness.