Review: Screwdriver

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Official Synopsis: Taken in by a wealthy couple, (Charlie Farrell and Milly Sanders) after her sudden divorce, an isolated woman (AnnaClare Hicks) spirals into a surreal nightmare of manipulation, paranoia, and betrayal.

The first image I saw of this film is quite striking. Emily (Hicks) has her back to a wall, screwdriver in hand, her makeup smeared. How can I not wonder how she got there?

"Intention" is the word that sticks with me after watching this. None of the dialogue nor the movements on screen felt natural. It was all very intentional. Every conversation was for the viewer, not the two or three people actually having it. Everything felt staged. This appears to be director Cairo Smith's first full length feature so I won't harp on it too much. We have to start somewhere.

The production design shines. Robert and Melissa's home is immaculate. Smith has some great shots here. The actors all do very well even with the weak script. The characters are more like archetypes than people.

I expect there's going to be a ton of gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss jokes on letterboxd for this film and while it didn't work for me, I hope Cairo Smith  continues to grow as a filmmaker.

Screwdriver will be available on Prime Video and VOD November 10th.

Grade: C

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 8, 2023 at 7:46 AM

    I would like to see this film..it does sound intriguing even though you don’t love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 8, 2023 at 9:01 AM

      Yes! It's definitely worth the watch to support an indie filmmaker.

      Delete
  2. thevoid99November 8, 2023 at 3:27 PM

    It's on Prime. OK then. I'll give it a look.

    ReplyDelete

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