A Tonally Sound, Mediocre Indie Film
The interesting thing with Indie film Edge Of Isolation is just how well it manages to execute the uneasy tension seeping through every part of the film. Not once does the relentless tension let up and in that respect, the film does well to hide some of the questionable acting and basic visual effects on display here. There are moments where the narrative runs dry and some weak chemistry between the two lead characters certainly hold this back from being better but despite the flaws, Edge Of Isolation just about manages to hold it together for the satisfying and action packed finale. The story begin with a young couple, Lance (Michael Marcel) and Kendra (Marem Hassler) deciding to go camping in the wilderness and subsequently crashing their car in the middle of nowhere and passing out. When they awaken, they find themselves alone with a strange, socially awkward family that have been nursing them back to health. After discovering their car needs some serious work which will take some time to fix, Lance and Kendra are begrudgingly forced to settle in while learning early on of something sinister lurking in the woods. Inevitably, things aren’t as simple as they seem and what follows are several plot developments that feel very similar in style and tone to Resident Evil 7. Of course, we won’t give anything away here but suffice to say the twists are well worked for the most part and do well with the limited budget used on this film. While Kenda and Lance are the main protagonists, their chemistry almost always feels superficial and there’s never a moment that you truly feel like rooting for them. Kendra tries to play the dominant female protagonist but the execution has her feel like a cursing, irrational hot head for most of the film while Lance almost feels too relaxed in his demeanour, lacking concern at crucial moments hindering his persona somewhat. Thankfully the isolated couple, Ivan (Monte Markham) and Judi (Judi Barton), steal the show and their uneasy, eerie performances manage to overshadow some of the inconsistencies with the other actors. Edge Of Isolation is not without its flaws. Some wonky acting, shaky camera work and a lack of chemistry between some of the characters does hold this back from being a more prominent and exciting Indie film. There’s certainly potential here despite some of the story feeling like it’s been ripped straight from a plethora of different sources including The Hills Have Eyes, Resident Evil 7 and The Walking Dead. The plot may feel a little too familiar but Edge Of Isolation manages to keep a tight grip on the tone of the film, maintaining a consistently enjoyable and tense narrative, even if the other elements of the film fall by the wayside. While there are better Indie films out there, Edge Of Isolation is certainly not terrible and deserves to be recognised simply for its tonally consistent picture even if the rest of the film could have done better with its overall presentation.
