Hank Boyd is Dead - Indie Film Review

I received an email asking me to considering reviewing this Horror/Comedy. After reading the entire email, looking over the credits on IMDB and watching the trailer I decided to watch the film and review it here. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I am not familiar with writer/director Sean Melia. So, let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts on “Hank Boyd Is Dead” in this Indie review…

First we can start with the story. A suspected killer has died and a catering service is hired to feed the folks attending the post funeral gathering. Things immediately don’t go as planned as one of the two caterers has to leave. The remaining caterer, played by Stefanie Frame, has to deal with the bizarre family, their questionable past and dangerous future.  Stefanie is an actress I wasn’t familiar with at all but she performed panic, fear, distress and confused all quite well. Overall, I found myself enjoying the story after I was able to get a feel for the tone of the film and the writing style. At first I wasn’t quite certain where the jokes were but that was only because I wasn’t familiar with Melia’s writing. Once I get a sense for his style I found myself enjoying some laughs at seemingly appropriate and (because of my own sense of humor) inappropriate places. The horror aspects of the story were also well done. The suspenseful twists towards the end did in fact surprise me. The story plays out similar to that of a Greek Tragedy and I was, by the end of the film, quite happy I made the decision to spend some time watching this movie.

The characters in this film also were quite different from each other. The initial introduction to one of the characters felt odd but that was only because I wasn’t familiar with the writing style. After a few lines of dialogue it was clear that Michael Hogan was going to be comedic relief. So as the film progressed it was quite surprising to see how his character developed. The character David Wells played also started off feeling a bit two dimensional and forced however by the end of the film I was on board, entirely. His character develops nicely as the movie progresses and the levels his character will go to for his family is truly terrifying and creepy. 

All in all, "Hank Boyd Is Dead" starts off a bit odd but again I feel that is only because I was unfamiliar with how Sean writes film. If the movie didn’t progress as well as it does I probably would be feeling differently. The movie ends well and it’s quite surprising once we get to the third act. The entire story falls into chaos and it’s thrilling to watch. I really enjoyed the characters, the story was paced pretty evenly and the tension builds from start to finish until the film finally ends and we’re left to consider the events that just took place on screen. I recommend giving this film a viewing. You can find it on Amazon and if you enjoy Horror/Comedy indie films I think you’ll appreciate this story. 

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Midnight Special - Box Office Review

Initially I was more curious than excited about this film because an indie science fiction film doesn't sound too believable. Science Fiction films typically have high budgets for special effects and indie films are lower budget films. I imagined a cheaply made, visually lacking B movie spectacular that would end up being the butt of jokes instead of an entertaining thrill ride. After doing some research on this movie my curiosity turned to excitement so let's jump in and take a look at "Midnight Special" in this box office review...

First, let's look at the cast of this film. We've got some heavy hitting talent in this film which helped elevate the emotionally intense moments that occur throughout the film. Michael Shannon plays "Roy" the father who is trying to protect his child at all costs. His portrayal of the father was incredible. His character ran the gambit of emotions and who better than Michael Shannon to capture all these feelings on screen for us. Fear, anger, rage, love, sorrow and more. Next we have Joel Edgerton who plays his partner in crime trying to keep his friends son safe from religious nut jobs and the federal government. This character was much more subtle and he seemed to provide the trustworthiness you would need in order to be the right hand in a situation this delicate. The shining star of this film was Jaeden Lieberher. This kid can act! He had innocent curiosity, fear, panic, love, compassion, determination and physical pain all on screen. I left the theater impressed with the acting chops he brought to this film. Sharing screen time with the talents of Michael and Joel and holding your own is no small task and Jaeden delivered. Keeps your eyes open for this young man in future films. 

The story is simple. A child is deemed "special" because he can speak in tongues, has a curious ability to communicate with electronic devices and can communicate using light spectrums that shoot from his eyes into yours. He's hailed as a savior to one religious group who lives on a ranch and the federal government see him as a threat. 

Overall, the bulk of this film is pretty simple special effects. It was more practical fist fights, gun shots, car chases, etc. There are a few key moments where the special effects shine and I won't get into those moments because it would spoil certain mysteries in the film that are revealed by the end of the movie. That being said, when the special effects are on display they look incredible. I was thrilled with how good this movie looks from start to finish. It's dark and eery and then bright and brilliant. This is a journey in all respects. 

"Midnight Special" is in theaters now! I contend this film will be in my Top 10 favorite films of the year. There is so much to enjoy and if you favor indie and science fiction films this will delight you. It starts a little slow but that is short lived. This is one of those films you need to see on the big screen.  It's worth the time and money. 

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