A Truly Backwards Town

Directed by Oren Uziel

Starring: Benjamin Walker, Rainn Wilson, Wyatt Russell, Stephanie Sigman

When I was first recommended this film at the weekend, I was skeptical because I know that Netflix original films don't go down well with me. They're often easy, to pass the time watches, which is ok for some people but not for me. Shimmer Lake is Netflix's latest offering and I decided to give it a chance - and it honestly blew me away. It felt very fresh and delivering right after seeing The Mummy, and straight off the bat I will say if you own a Netflix account, find some time for this. You're in for a mysterious, tense and truly funny time.

The film is basically an inventive crime thriller which, through the course of a week, has its story basically told backwards. The week starts off (the ending of the film) with a bank heist, whereas the start of this film tells the end of the story and so on, in which local sheriff Zeke Sikes (Walker) investigates a bank heist that involves criminal Ed Burton (Russell) and the sheriff's own brother Andy Sikes (Wilson). The film tells the story from different perspectives of other supporting characters such as the bank owner, two federal agents and Burton's wife Steph (Sigman) which reveals new clues and plot points as the story is told in reverse.

It seems at first a bit like Reservoir Dogs, which is clearly noticeable from the get-go. That's fine, because whilst much of it is inspired by it, it's still likeable in its own way. The telling of the story in reverse is very cunning on the director's part as we are fed clues throughout the story and are given small lines of information that make sense as the we get closer to the end of the week. The only problem is that some of it can be quite predictable, and that's fine since the plot needs some of these clues to help it move along so it is forgivable. 

Since watching shows like Twin Peaks and Stranger Things I've grown to like shows and films that take place in small towns with quirky and interesting characters, and Shimmer Lake is no different. Walker's Zeke is a very likeable character with some ace dialogue, and his brother Andy played by Wilson is fascinating and puts on a very well appreciated performance. The best performances come from Sigman and Russell, in particular Russell who has become one of my favourite actors as of late and really commands the story when he enters the film. There's something to like in all of the film's characters and it makes you feel right at home.

The grittiness and colour palette are well chosen and put together, and the cinematography is incredible to say the least. It all flows very well together and I was impressed on how the tone of the film stayed the same yet incorporated very surreal humour. In fact, the humour is one of the film's best aspects, and the backwards structure helps it out in turn and makes it all the more funnier. As well as some really well written dialogue and structure, everything seems to flow well and it's masterfully directed by Uziel, whom I'm excited to see in whatever he does next.

I have to compliment the pacing in particular, it's all very natural and doesn't rush or stall on anything. As I say everything goes hand in hand with eachother and things feel very real and you'll quickly find yourself immersed in this world. Netflix seem to have a good lineup of films ready for the coming months, so I think I'll be keeping my optimism flourishing, as Shimmer Lake has really restored my faith in what Netflix can do, and in particular what it can do for independent filmmakers. If you fancy a trip to the cinema this week, I recommend turning all lights off and tuning into this, as you'll probably not find a better movie that will give you so much to love and remember this week. This is definitely a pick for the year, and a pick for you.

The Good

- Cast and characters

- Cinematography 

- Excellent pacing

- Well written story

- Humour

- Backwards storytelling is inventive

The Bad

- Very predictable at times

9/10