Criminal Audition review: Frightfest’s First Blood strand goes from strength to strength with Samuel Gridley’s feature debut being the latest addition.
Criminal Audition
Criminal Audition is a film built from frustration and passion, as lead Luke Kaile brings his own script to the screen through director Samuel Gridley. Not only is this a magnificent audition and display of talent, but also a genuinely well-crafted feature that utilises its limitations. Far from some kind of vanity project, Criminal Audition is stunningly paced, nerve shreddingly tense, and very direct in what it wants to achieve.
Set mostly in a singular locale, we follow Ryan (Kaile), a young man who works as a handler for a sinister organisation. The organisation’s modus operandi is to provide willing scapegoats for other people’s crimes. Lead by the creepily chirpy William (Rich Keeble), a trio of individuals going solely by letters L, P, and J (Rebecca Calienda, Ben Scheck, and Blain Neale respectively) must go through a series of scenarios to prove they could convince authorities that they have committed the crime that needs covering, in exchange for a large sum of money. Things are further complicated by the unexpected arrival of the client wishing to hire the successful applicant, the dangerous and terrifying Ms. M (Noeleen Comiskey).
Criminal Audition
With an intriguing premise that has viewers hooked from the beginning, the film also benefits from a wealth of interesting and well-defined characters. Every single performance brings something unique to the table. Ryan is morally conflicted, but Kaile injects enough charisma and personable details to make him a likeable and fascinating lead. Keeble’s comedy background is clear, and yet his weaselly mannerisms make him both unlikable yet sympathetic, as he gradually loses control of the situation. Comiskey relishes her role as the antagonist, instilling fear with a calm voice and subtlety. Even the supporting roles of Morris (Cameron Harris) and Moe (Scott Samain) have a chance to explore layers within their characters.
As the film progresses, it explores the paranoia, claustrophobia, and increasing threat of violence prevalent in so many other bottleneck films. There are hints of Reservoir Dogs, Cube, and Saw, but with a fresh twist and enough drama to stand on its own. The violence is dictated by the budget, which results in teeth-grittingly tense moments, and avoids it becoming too grotesque. Kaile and Calienda find the heart of this very dark piece, yet Kaile’s script is robust and purposeful enough to make sure we understand all motivations. It leaves us in a sombre place come the film’s close, but one that was enjoyable and thrilling to get to.
Criminal Audition is a film that really excels on every front. It is paced brilliantly, making time for snappy dialogue, humour, violence, and heart. Gridley handles all these elements superbly and merges them together in a way where nothing comes across as distracting or out of place. The cast gel, the twists are earned, and the 88-minute runtime leaves you not only wanting more from the film itself but also excited to see what the cast and crew can come up with next.
Criminal Audition was reviewed at Arrow Video Frightfest 2019.
