How to Deter a Robber – Movie Review
ABC Film Challenge – Female Directors – H
Director: Maria Bissell
Writer: Maria Bissell (Screenplay)
Cast
- Leah Lewis (The Half of It)
- Vanessa Marano (Saving Zoe)
- Chris Mulkey (On the Basis of Sex)
- Abbie Cobb (Old Dads)
- Gabrielle Carteris (Raising Cain)
- Jonah Ray (Suitable Flesh)
- Benjamin Papac (Fantastic Four)
- Sonny Valicenti (Blonde)
Plot: In a desolate town in Northern Wisconsin, a stubborn young woman and her naïve boyfriend face off against a pair of amateur burglars.
Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: How to Deter a Robber starts when Madison (Marano) and Jimmy (Papac) discover somebody going through the neighbour’s home. They try to report it but find themselves becoming the prime suspects. However, when Madison’s Uncle Andy’s (Mulkey) house has also been robbed.
Madison and Jimmy are left to stay with Andy when they become the victims of the latest robbery. They must figure out how to stay ahead of the robbers before it is too late. However, they learn it is much more serious than they imagined.
Verdict on How to Deter a Robber
How to Deter a Robber is a crime comedy following a teenage couple who uncover a string of robberies near their home. However, they must prove who is behind them, or see themselves becoming the prime suspects.
This is an oddball comedy that gets the laughs from the awkward situations more than anything else. We have a Scooby Doo-like investigation, which soon turns more into trying to stay ahead of the robbers. It can work in places, but at other times it can feel like a spark is missing. The movie uses the setting well and shows how being a suspect in a crime can hold up the next stage of family life too.
Where to Watch
JustWatch
Final Thoughts – How to Deter a Robber uses the oddball feeling well throughout the film.
