It’s hard to say if film history is dead or if we’re still plodding along in some form of post-postmodernism. Since we continue to make and consume films, I’m inclined to believe in the latter. Either way, a defining feature of our current era is a resurgence of visual style with a dependence on long-standing tropes and narrative mechanisms. In other words, we continue telling stories in much the same way, though we put on a fresh coat of paint to make things feel new. Contrary to how this might sound, I’m not totally against it. In the upcoming feature from Cameron Van Hoy, Flinch (2021), nostalgia for 80’s crime thrillers combines with the colorful and stylistic visuals of neo-noir films.
Flinch tells the story of a hitman, Joe Doyle (Daniel Zovatto), who must continue taking jobs to pay off the debts left behind by his father. Doyle lives with his mother, Gloria (Cathy Moriarty), who prays for her son to come home alive with each new gig. When the mob boss to whom Doyle owes the debt, Lee (David Proval), assigns him an unexpected rush job, he initially refuses. However, when Lee reminds Doyle that he really has no say in the matter, he reluctantly complies.
Unfortunately for Doyle, the job doesn’t go exactly as planned. Doyle is assigned to take out a brash businessman named Ed (Tom Segura). While trailing his new target, Doyle encounter’s Ed’s assistant, Mia (Tilda Cobham-Hervey). When Ed finds Doyle in the bathroom of his office building, he attacks Doyle, as he recognizes him as the man who has been following him around town for the past few days. During the ensuing scuffle, Doyle is able to stab Ed to death, thus fulfilling the job. However, Mia walks into the office just as the murder takes place. Mia tries to flee, but Doyle catches up and throws her in the trunk of his car. Though Doyle has the opportunity to kill Mia to ensure that no witnesses are left behind, he finds himself unable to do so. Instead, he brings Mia back to his house, where he must keep her bound in his bedroom until he decides what to do with her.
Much of the film revolves around Doyle’s conflicting interests and influences after kidnapping Mia. Naturally, he doesn’t want Mia to go to the police. Doyle’s mother is especially keen on keeping Mia quiet, but she begrudgingly agrees to let Mia live until Doyle can come up with a plan. At the same time, the crime family that hired Doyle starts to get suspicious when no one can account for Mia’s whereabouts. To make things even more complicated, Doyle begins to have feelings for Mia, putting everyone’s lives at risk.
At first glance, Flinch seems like a pretty boilerplate, by-the-books crime thriller. In some ways, that’s exactly what it is. The film borrows heavily from past entries in the genre, with an eclectic blend of existing songs and original synthesized compositions to give it an old-school sound. This really works to its advantage, as it helps put the story into a more self-reflective context. For the most part, things unfold much like you’d expect after Doyle botches the hit. However, I will readily admit that I wasn’t expecting a twist that comes into play toward the end of the film. After the first hour or so, I thought I could predict everything that was going to happen; I’m happy to say that I was wrong.
As far as the performances, everybody fills their roles — as stereotypical as they may be at times — to great effect. Cathy Moriarty gives a particularly impressive performance as the hardened mother who just wants the best for her son. The rest of the cast is a bit of a mixed bag, but no one performance was subpar to the point that it took me out of the story. In fact, for an indie thriller, the cast outperformed my expectations.
Finally, this brings us to the visuals, an important element of any good thriller. The filmmakers put color to interesting use, with most scenes shrouded in darkness, save for a few neon lights to highlight whatever the filmmaker wants us to see. The red, LED cross in Doyle’s bedroom becomes a symbol of his battle between what he knows is right and what he feels that he has to do. It may be a little on the nose, but it still works. Generally, the film conforms to the latest trend in indie filmmaking, which I like to refer to as the “music video” style of filmmaking. Perhaps its the result of a generation of filmmakers who grew up on MTV and Tarantino films, but now nearly every shot is marked by bright, somewhat distracting objects and colors, while music (typically from at least three decades ago) blasts in the background.
I may sound like I’m taking a shot at the current generation of independent filmmakers, but I don’t mean it as an insult. Music videos are appealing for a reason. They get your heart pumping and serve as eye candy at the same time. Why not blend them with narrative cinema? It’s worked well thus far.
To wrap things up, I’d just like to say that I genuinely enjoyed Cameron Van Hoy’s Flinch (2021). I got to take part in an early screening of the film, and I believe that it will find success with audiences upon its release. Do I think that it’s a must-watch film? That depends on your tastes. If you’re a fan of the genre, it is certainly a worthwhile entry. Though I usually don’t find myself reaching for crime thrillers, I found this one refreshingly entertaining. Van Hoy finds a pretty solid mixture between old-school crime tropes and new-school cinematography to really make Flinch stand out of the crowd.
Flinch (2021) Movie Rating: ★★★½ out of 5
If you’d like to watch Flinch (2021), it will be coming to theaters and streaming platforms very soon. For more information on the film, feel free to follow @flinchmovie or visit www.flinchthemovie.com! Finally, if you’d like to read more film reviews like this one, check out the Philosophy in Film Homepage!