Downrange
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'Downrange' TIFF 2017 Review: A bloody thriller that delivers on its premise
September 13, 2017Ben MK
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Six college students find themselves the unwitting targets of a roadside sniper in Downrange, the latest bloodbath from Versus and The Midnight Meat Train director Ryûhei Kitamura. Light on plot but heavy on gore, this exercise in high-concept thrills won't win any Oscars any time soon. Still, it's impressive what Kitamura has been able to achieve with a modest budget and a cast of unknowns. Downrange starts off simply — with a blown tire triggering the characters' perilous predicament — but as the body count rises and buckets of blood and chunks of brain matter begin to coat the screen, the movie takes on a life of its own, culminating in a last-minute twist ending as wickedly devilish as anything the co-writer/director has done. Although neither as over-the-top as Versus nor as suspenseful as The Midnight Meat Train, Downrange doesn't disappoint. With a keen eye for shock value, Kitamura delivers in spades on the film's one-line premise, making this one of the more satisfying Midnight Madness movies to play at the festival this year. |
Downrange is receiving its world premiere as part of TIFF 2017's Midnight Madness programme. Its runtime is 1 hr. 30 min.
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