Director: Pedro C Alonso
Writer: Pedro C Alonso, Alberto Marini (Screenplay)
Starring: Eddie Marsan, Paul Anderson, Ivana Baquero, Richard Brake, Oliver Coopersmith, Alexis Rodney, Anthony Head
Plot: A radio star experiences the worst night of his life when stalkers assault the radio station where he’s working.
Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Twist Filled Thriller
Story: Feedback starts as we meet experience radio star Jarvis Dolan (Marsan) whose show Grim Reality is always tackling the issues in the UK, he is being forced to work with a regular guest Andrew Wilde (Anderson) who he doesn’t get along with, with tonight show having the rookie producer Claire (Baquero) on her first show, which is prepared for the big show.
The show takes a drastic turn of events, when Jarvis is forced into follow instructions from masked people who want to see the show head in their own direction for the night, on that will look to shock the system as they know it.
Thoughts on Feedback
Characters – Jarvis Dolan is a veteran radio host that has built up a reputation on his show The Grim Reality where he talks about the realities of life that the people in Britain can’t accept, turning the complaints on to the people who are complaining. He has the tables turned on him on his latest show, where he gets ambushed by masked figures who want their own story told, one that could expose a crime. Andrew Wilde is one of the regular guests on the show, who has been working with Jarvis for years, they aren’t as close as they once were and tonight he will be on the show, with his outlandish stories. Claire is on her first night as the main producer on the show, she is excited for this chance, only left in fear when it comes to learning how the night will unfold, while Hunter and Wrecker are the two masked figures who come to hijack the show, looking for their own story to be told, they are ruthless, full of threats to anybody who gets in their way, turning to violence if things don’t go their way too.
Performances – Eddie Marsan in the leading role is fantastic, he is an actor you could watch in any film and just want to see what he does next. When we get into the rest of the cast, everyone does a good job through the film, with Richard Brake doing the best of the main cast.
Story – The story here follows an experience radio host that finds his show being held hostage by a group of masked figures that want their own story told, one which could ruin his career after exposing a crime. The radio host put through horror is always an interesting spin on film, with Pontypool bringing new life to the zombie genre, where Feedback does something different is showing us how people could go to an extreme to get a truth out. Some of the story does just turn into people shouting and screaming at each other, which does take away from the slow build to the truth, which would have been more intense to watch, as the story does keep us guessing on who is telling the real story.
Horror – The horror comes and goes, with one moment feeling supernatural, while the rest is more about the intense traumatic experience that Jarvis is going through.
Settings – The film is kept in one locations, a radio station booth, be it the production side or the hosting side, where the group hold Jarvis as they look to get their own truth told, he can’t escape and the sound proofing only contains the screams.
Special Effects – The effects are used when we need them, we do focus on the story more than just flashy effects.
Scene of the Movie – The final look.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Too much shouting and screaming.
Final Thoughts – This is an interesting spin on the hostage situation which is more about learning the truth, by keeping us guessing from start to finish on who to trust in the story.
Overall: Intense Thriller.
