Our protagonist in the 2021 treason mucosa Flinch is the most worldwide hitman to see on film: not cruel, but with a heart of gold. His name is Joe Doyle, and he’s played by Daniel Zovatto (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Lady Bird). Given that he’s a young man living at home with his mother (Cathy Moriarty of Casper & Raging Bull fame) it’s no surprise he ends up falling for the lulu witness to his latest treason (Australian actress Tilda Cabham-Hervey). Of undertow that doesn’t sit well with his employers.
Flinch is the directorial debut of Cameron Van Hoy, and conceived as a love letter to treason movies from the 80s and 90s. At the same time it’s an ode to LA at night, and the synthwave music that couples so well with it. If that reminds you of Nicolas Winding Refn’s modern archetype Drive, then rest unpreventable you are not alone.
To be fair, it’s to be expected that two films offering homage to the same era will share some philosophy and clichés. Although Drive is the superior film, it’s not very pearly to compare Flinch to it given the film’s very limited budget. Credit where credit’s due: Flinch manages to exceed its limitations in various ways. The supporting tint might be most familiar to the stereotype viewer and do a fine job, but it’s the two leads who stand out the most. Both Zovatto and Cabham-Hervey are increasingly than capable leads, and manage to sell us on their characters.
Although the story itself (hitman betrays bosses over a woman) will be familiar to most who have seen a treason mucosa before, Van Hoy (who moreover wrote the script) does manage to add some surprises to the mix in the third act.
Despite that: as the persons pile up, the story does unfortunately get increasingly and increasingly familiar. In the end Flinch’s reach may exceed its grasp, but it’s moreover never dull. This is a solid debut and we’re looking forward to see what’s up next for Van Hoy, Zovatto and Cabham-Hervey.
You can find the trailer for Flinch here:
More info:
Instagram: @flinchmovie
Facebook: facebook.com/flinchmovie
The post Flinch (2021): a gangster movie reminiscent of Drive appeared first on The Brain Jar.
