CHOP (2011)

Directed By: Trent Haaga
Written By: Adam Minarovich
Cinematography By: Christian Janss
Editor: Jahad Ferif

Cast: Will Keenan, Timothy Muskatell, Tanisha Mukherjee

Lance Reed is forced by a psychotic stranger to confront his duplicitous past. Seeking retribution for a crime, the man forces Lance to reveal his inner most secrets by systematically removing his limbs.

The film is inventive and macabre, but like a cartoon it has high energy and kind ofgoofy while being incredibly gory and violent. -Now while this is not going to reinvent the wheel it is a good genre piece that is never boring and keeps you on your toes.

The story stays funny through-out not matter how outlandish the action and characters get. The mannered yet goofy performance by will Keenan helps us through the film and leads us through the terrain as we learn things through his character and as he experiences them we are introduced to them. So we are kept as off-kilter as he is.

Even the film’s ending stays true to it’s cruel spirit. As this is a genre film that works it’s premise and takes you places, you would never expect.

It moves at a brisk pace so that it’s short and sweet. Though sometimes it’s rhythm and tone feels off and dips into the ridiculous. It’s chemistry works in a diabolical way.

Trent Haaga makes the most with his low budgeted inspired film and story. He is a screenwriter who I will admit to admiring his previous script for a film I have quite enjoyed DEAD GIRL. his twisted imagination will leave you laughing one minute. Disgusted the next, but can guarantee you didn’t see what was coming next. That’s why I was so surprised he didn’t write this film as it fits into his wheelhouse. He still makes it work in context of the story. I look forward to future projects from him. When he lets his imagination flourish.

Like Will Keenan, Timothy Muskatell gives a great performance whenever he is on-screen I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He nails the sympathy, Sadism, emotions and one liner’s with ease.

GRADE: B