Saturday, May 20, 2017

Time Trap (SIFF 2017) - Movie Review



The Movie: Time Trap

The Director: Mark Dennis and Ben Foster

The Cast: Andrew Wilson, Cassidy Gifford, Brianne Howey, Reiley McClendon, Olivia Draguicevich, Max Wright, Hans Marrero

The Story: A group of students become trapped inside a mysterious cave where they discover time passes differently underground than on the surface.



The Review:
So, I just finished watching this movie and I'm now sitting in front of my laptop wondering how in the heck Mark Dennis and Ben Foster have managed to do so much with so little. Seriously, this is a small scale indie film that plays like a summer blockbuster and it's quite honestly better than a lot of the stuff that's thrown out there for mass consumption. The science fiction adventure they have created may just have the smartest use of time that I have seen since Back to the Future. It's amazing how simple the concept is once everything is revealed, partly because there are so many layers that have to be perfectly peeled away to get there.


The whole thing is just so much fun and I love how the creative team is more concerned with telling a quality story rather than feeling the need to explain everything and hold the audience's hand. This helps to keep the pace of the movie at a high level and the 95 minute run time just seems to fly by. Seriously, I was sad when it was over because I wanted to see more, but then again, the ending is about as satisfying as you would want it to be, especially for science fiction fans. Of course, the ending also leaves things open for more and, oh yes, you are going to want more. The concepts and ideas that are played with really open things up for a massive world to explore and all kinds of possibilities through both space and time.


For any movie to work, you've got to have a great cast and, while there's no A list caliber names rolling through the credits, the group that has been put together does a fantastic job working as a slightly dysfunctional team. There's definitely a little bit of that Goonie's magic going on here, it's even mentioned in the film, and the actors all do a good job of keeping things light hearted and playful. As I'm typing out this review, I'm trying to think back on anything that I could critique or point out as a flaw, but there really isn't anything that comes to mind. Going back to the fact that this is a low budget, independent film, everything just looks clean and well produced. The special effects are legit, the costumes, sets, and props are all up to par with anything else out there, and even the movie poster looks like it belongs on multiplex theater walls.


The Verdict:
Time Trap is a great movie. Plain and simple. It's a well produced, fast paced ride through the science fiction genre that does so with an original story filled with imagination and a sense of undeniable fun. Please go watch this movie and enjoy the heck out of it.





Time Trap is an official selection of the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival

TwoOhSix.com coverage for the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival




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