Held

Recently, the first movie co-written and directed by Dave Franco The rental was released on VOD and in theaters, in which two couples rented a house for a weekend. The weekend was supposed to be a relaxing weekend, but it turned out to be a nightmare for them and they were about to be killed one after the other by a dangerous psychopath. It must be acknowledged that this film was a public and justified critical failure because it was so easy to see and could not really hold our attention. The film Held directed by Travis Cluff, Chris Lofing starts from an idea not very far away and we discover a married couple, Emma and Henry, whose marriage is in trouble and to try to rekindle their flame, they decide to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary in a luxuriously endowed property, a futuristic house with built-in security. As in The Rental, this property will turn out to be a trap and a voice will not only monitor every move but also manipulate them by revealing their own cracks. Much more original and compelling than The rental, Held is an excellent choice to open this virtual edition of the British Frightfest festival.

For their third film made together after Gallows (2015), The Gallows Act II (2019) seems to want to leave their favorite field of teenagers and move towards a much more original and gripping thriller. In the same way, their direction has evolved and proves to be more accomplished and, above all, much better mastered. A bit as if their first two films were only a rough draft to better prepare them to propose a more mature film and especially their third film focuses on the psychology of the two main characters and shows how Emma's violent past will come to the surface. The undeniable quality written by the one who plays the main heroine Jill Awbrey shows that it is still possible with practically only two actors and a perfectly exploited location to keep the spectators on tenterhooks.

Yet Held is not without flaws, starting with a disjointed rhythm and a direction that would have benefited from finding original approaches to filming a story that is a bit too much told in the cinema. We will thus think back to the many home invasions that have already left their mark on our memories. In the same way, the violent introductory scene showing Emma being attacked in her car by her ex-boyfriend's friend, while the latter, also in the car, does not even protect her, could have led to a different film with a better exploitation and a well-prepared revenge...

Held
Directed by Travis Cluff, Chris Lofing
Produced by Travis Cluff, Kyle Gentz, Chris Lofing
Written by Jill Awbrey
Starring Jill Awbrey, Bart Johnson, Rez Kempton, Zack Gold, Jener Dasilva, Tessa Munro
Music by Richard Breakspear
Cinematography : Kyle Gentz
Edited by Andy Matthews, Aaron Tharp
Release date : October 21, 2020 (UK)
Running time : 94 minutes

Viewed on October 20, 2020 (screener press)

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