Plot: The stories of those racing to preserve Native languages in their own words.
Runtime: 28 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on Edge
Edge is a documentary exploring the lost languages in America. It shows how one of the latest ones on the verge of extinction is being fought for. This follows the different levels of people involved, how much it means to them and what they would like to see changed.
The documentary is important, showing a change that needs to happen. It shows how culture has been changing for people and what could be done to help maintain it. This might only be a short documentary about the subject, but it could easily be extended to dive deeper into the history of the language. We could also get a series covering different languages on the edge of extinction or on the rebuild, it would make an interesting subject.
Final Thoughts –Edge is an interesting documentary that we could learn more from.
Plot: Set years after the events of ‘Upstate Story,’ the film finds Ellis Martin with a new job as a freelance videographer. His most recent assignment has him scouting locations for a filmmaker and takes him to the very town he grew up.
Runtime: 1 Hour 2 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Toga starts as we see how Ellis Martin’s (Shaun Rose) life has changed since we last met him. He now lives alone in a trailer park working in a thrift shop, while freelancing as a videographer. The routine takes up most of his life, waiting for the time he gets with his children.
Ellis finds himself struggling but a job back where he grew up gives him a chance to go down memory lane. Here, he gets a chance to see how much has changed and reflect on his own life about what needs changing.
Verdict on Toga
Toga is a drama that follows a man in his mid-30s that sees his life not going smoothly. It follows the everyday routine that doesn’t give him the motivation to change in life. He takes a journey to learn about what is most important in his life.
This movie is told in a very mundane style, which is done on purpose. It shows us that everyday life is a lot harder than a lot of people imagine. This continues to run from director Shaun Rose, taking us through a life’s journey for small-town America. It is easy to compare to the life Ellis is going through, being somebody who expected much more from life, but found themselves held back.
Final Thoughts –Toga is a brilliant reflection on small-town life.
Plot: Based on the true story of a father and son who repair their fractured relationship during a forced hike of the Appalachian trail to find their beloved lost dog.
Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Dog Gone starts as a college student Fielding (Berchtold)) adopts a puppy to get him through the college experience. Fielding and Gonker become best friends but when he graduates, Fielding finds his life with a direction. He moves back home with his parents Father John (Lowe) and Mother Jenny (Williams-Paisley).
Back home the family learns that Gonker has medication that needs a monthly shot. However, life becomes more complicated for the family when Gonker goes missing on the Appalachian trail. Fielding and his father must put aside their differences in the race to find Gonker for his monthly shot.
Verdict on Dog Gone
Characters
Fielding is a college student, he decides to adopt a puppy to keep him company and hopefully meet girls. The two grow an incredible bond until it gets time to graduate and he doesn’t know where to go next. He moves home with his parents as he tries to put everything back together in his life, despite having a strained relationship with his father. When Gonker runs away, Fielding gets a chance to build his relationship with his father.
John is Fielding’s father, he has expected him to take his education and jump into the job market. He gets used to Gonker welcoming him into the household. When Gonker goes missing, he uses his knowledge to help Fielding find the dog before time runs out and learns what his son wants from his life.
Jenny is Fielding’s mother that has her own memories of a connection to a dog from her youth. She can’t wait to have Gonker in the home and once he goes missing, she leads the search from home.
Performances
Johnny Berchtold is the lead in the movie and gets to show us how uncertain young people can be after college. He brings youthful joy to the role while handling the serious side of everything.
Rob Lowe comes off as a stricter figure who is more about the love he has for his son. He does bring a charm to everything, as he shows what his character wants most from his son.
Kimberly Williams-Paisley is the concerned mother that gets obsessed with finding the dog, she shows that in every scene of the movie.
Story
The story follows a family that comes together when their beloved dog goes missing on the Appalachian Trail. It creates a bond between the dog and a young man, as the family relationship gets a chance to rebuild. This shows how one man and his dog create a new bond that makes them inseparable.
The movie gets to use one of the easiest bonding stories and pulls at the heart strings of uncertainty. Any dog owner knows the pain of losing a dog, but one running away and the desperate search is just as difficult. Outside of the dog story, we get a father-son relationship that needs rebuilding.
This might well end up following a traditional story and it manages to get everything right. It is enjoyable and gives us a story that we can support the characters along the way.
Where to Watch: Dog Gone is available on Netflix Now.
Final Thoughts – Dog Gone pulls on the dog owner’s heart strings.
Plot: This shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad’s ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment.
Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict onThe Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is a documentary that follows the viral sensation, Kai Lawrence. Becoming an internet sensation following his stopping of a hate crime and giving a colourful interview about what he did. However, he vanishes with only one connection to the world.
This follows TV producers trying to capture him to become the next reality star. However, he proves to be a loose cannon for anyone trying to control him. It doesn’t take long before when people start looking at what he did as being too violently familiar.
This shows us how you never know who somebody truly is, especially if they are a sudden viral sensation. While this documentary shows the people involved in making him a viral sensation. However, it can show how dangerous putting someone in the spotlight can be. This is scary to show how quick people are to put people on a celebrity status without even knowing them.
Where to Watch: The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is available on Netflix.
Final Thoughts – The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is a disturbing documentary.
Plot: A group of workers on a remote Scottish oil rig are due to return to the mainland when a mysterious fog enshrouds them and supernatural forces take hold.
Runtime: 6 Episodes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Rig starts as we meet the crew on a remote Scottish oil rig. Magnus (Glen) runs his team like a family but the member of a team that has recently taken over the business Rose (Hampshire) overrides his orders. She has created unwanted tension on board.
When a mysterious fog appears and covers the rig, they lose communication with the mainland. This causes chaos among the crew who must learn to work together to understand what is going on. As the fog continues to create uncertainty, supernatural forces point toward something far more serious for the crew to deal with.
Verdict on The Rig
The Rig is a mystery horror thriller following the crew of an oil rig team that must deal with an unexpected supernatural event. This creates tension between the crew as they demand answers and a way to return home.
The Rig creates an amazing amount of tension and atmosphere. Each episode gives a different member of the crew a chance to be in the spotlight. Showing what they have outside of this world, instead of only focusing on the situation. The story leaves us a chance to see how much is going on, constantly twisting toward something new. If you were to compare this to another show, the best example would be ‘Helix’.
The all-star TV cast is wonderful throughout the film, from Game of Thrones alumni Iain Glen and Owen Teale. Add in the only American character Emily Hampshire that makes her character feel like an outsider in the world. The supporting cast is great too, Rochenda Sandall, Martin Compston, Molly Vevers and Calvin Demba develop their characters to a level we want to see more from.
Despite only having 6 episodes, we are given plenty to work through and we are left only wanting to see more. Hopefully, The Rig will return for season two.
Where to Watch: The Rig is available on Amazon Prime.
Final Thoughts – The Rig is an excellent atmospheric mystery that leaves you wanting more.
Plot: Passengers on their way to a tropical paradise crash at sea and find themselves on a deserted island. Desperate to survive the elements and infighting between survivors, they find that the island has more in store for them than they could ever imagine.
Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Bermuda Island starts as a flight across the ocean gets a late addition in criminal Diego Montalban (Gugliemi) being transferred. Mid-flight the plane finds itself in a storm not appearing on any radars, leading to them crash landing on a deserted island.
Once on the island, the survivors must regroup and plan on how to survive until rescue. However, the survivors learn they aren’t alone on the island and the night brings a brand-new threat to them. The survivors must come together to fight back to survive.
Verdict on Bermuda Island
Bermuda Island is an action horror movie following a group of plane crash survivors facing monsters on a deserted island. It sees two groups of survivors trying to figure out how to survive while getting caught up in the middle of a bigger mystery.
The Bermuda Triangle has always been an interesting mystery to the world. Using it to bring us this story lets us know early we are going to be dealing with the unexpected early one. When it comes to the different mindsets on surviving leading to the different groups. As well as the monsters involved in creating a chaotic environment. The story does contain plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep us guessing.
This does end up being a lot of fun for a creature feature movie. The chaotic nature keeps us wanting more and the uncertainty about who will make it out alive means anyone could be picked off next.
Final Thoughts – Bermuda Island is a chaotic creature feature.
