Director: Brian Levin
Writer: Brian Levin (Screenplay)
Starring: Scott Friend, Emma Duncan, Alex Breaux, Elisabeth Noone, Bobby J Brown, Lateicia Ford
Plot: After burning out in the city, Will Shipe is summoned back home where he uncovers dark truths about his family and the town he grew up in.
Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Slow Burner
Story: Union Bridge starts when Will Shipe (Friend) returns to his hometown to refresh his life, he learns one of his oldest friends Nick (Breaux) has lost the plot, turning to hopes of unearthing gold on the land, while Will meets Mary Burke (Duncan) that gives him the conversation he needs in his life right now.
The longer Will spends in the town, the stranger his nights become Will wants to get to the bottom of what is really going on in his old town before it is too late.
Thoughts on Union Bridge
Characters – Will grew up in this town, he moved away and started his own life, only when it got too much, he returns home, he sees his friend struggling with his own mentality and meets a new woman in his life. He sees something good from his return, only it is coming at a price with his sleeping turning into nightmares. Mary Burke is the woman that comes into Will’s life, she has mystery about herself, which may have a connection to why Will isn’t sleeping. Nick is the old friend that has now lost his job, he is searching for gold, mostly to take his mind off his dying mother.
Performances – Scott Friend in the leading role does a solid job, showing us how his character always seems to be learning about what is happening in his life. Emma Duncan works well as the mysterious woman entering somebody’s life. Alex Breaux shows the unstable side to his character well through the film.
Story – The story here follows a man returning to his home town, where he starts seeing the changes in the town and trying to understand what has driven people to change the ways they have. In this story we do get to do the memory lane, it has the air of mystery about what is going on and leaves plenty out there for people to piece together. Everything builds up to make a conclusion that will give Will the most difficult decision of his life. The pace can be slow for large points in the film leading to things feeling like they are dragging along.
Thriller – The film does create tension around what is happening within the town, Will is always on edge about what is happening.
Settings – The film uses the small town setting to show us just how the return will see how Will remember moments and learn of change.
Scene of the Movie – The final night.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The slow building can take too long.
Final Thoughts – This is a slow burner that doesn’t quite spark the way it would like to, it ends up dragging along more than it needs to, without getting to the point quick enough.
Overall: Overly slow.
