Accident - Digital Review

[Michael Scott]

Accident

Movie:
Video: N/A
Audio: N/A
Extras: N/A
Final Score: ​

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Movie
Yup, it’s another digital review from Well Go USA, as I’m making it a dual Well Go USA weekend review day! While I had high hopes for Goldbuster, I had very little knowledge about Accident when I requested it. I’m a huge fan of Well Go USA, but this is one their NON Asian films, and that is usually a sign that the movie could go either way. The Texas based independent film studio chooses it’s non Asian films differently than most, and they usually end up with VERY unique films (which can be either good or bad). However, the description labeled this as a thriller so I was more than happy to add Accident to the list. The sad thing is, this is another one of those movies where it’s a swing and a miss for Well Go USA, as I have a hard time believing that Accident was anything less than an actual accident that it was actually made!

The film is based off of a series of rather unfortunate events that happen to a pair of young girls going to a music festival in Northern California. Caroline (Roxane Hayward) decides to hitch a rid up with a couple of friends that her parents don’t approve of, and doesn’t bother to tell her best friend Jess (Stephanie Schildknecht) about the change of plans. Only thing is, those friends decide to ditch them at the last moment and the girls are stranded. Catching a ride from a pair of hunky boys named Fred (Tyrone Keogh) and Thomas (Keenan Arrison), the girls head up to the festival only to be involved in a horrible accident.

Now the girls and guys are pinned inside the flipped over car, and they have to find a way to escape. At this point in the movie I’m wondering what is going to flesh out the plot, as we’re only 30 minutes in, but that comes in the form of a few secrets that Fred and Thomas have hidden away. It seems that they stole the sleek black BMW that they’re driving, and some VERY bad men want it bad. So now they have to get out of the car, dodge the killers who are going to stop at nothing to get the car back, AND stay alive long enough to get back on the road.

To say that Dan Tondowski’s Accident is not a good movie is an understatement. The film is a repugnant display of bad writing, bad directing, bad editing (there are huge swaths of the film that are coated in cheap slow motion and rewinds), and bad acting. The movie itself plays out like a high school drama, with the nubile youngsters having the camera pan up and down their bodies in anticipation of back seat naughtiness, but then turns full thriller when the car upends itself when one of the guys tries to push his way onto Jess (who ironically sobs her eyes out later when she can’t save him). Actions are stilted, and the tension is next to zero. After a while of stupid back and forth dialog with Jess and Caroline trying to unbuckle their seat best you almost wish that the killers would come and wipe out the whole 4some of young adults in order to end the film.

There’s also some really jarring inconsistencies in the film. Fred is seen thrown from the car at one point, with a massive branch impaled in his shoulder and he claims that both legs are fractured. Then not 10 minutes later he gets the branch pulled out and he’s no longer bleeding, AND he can suddenly walk (wasn’t his legs supposed to have been fractured?)! The copious use of slow motion CGI is pretty painful to the eyes, but I have to begrudgingly admit that the director claims there were some massive budgetary constraints, and it’s a miracle the movie was finished at all. Something that unfortunately is obvious when watching the movie itself.




Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




Video: N/A

Yup, just like Goldbuster, Accident is a digital only release and the streaming copy that I was given is what’s known as a screener stream. Meaning I had limited resolution and can not accurately give an analysis of the video quality as it will vary from source to source (Amazon, Itunes etc). It seems to be a decent looking film from what I could tell, but at 540p for my viewing, I didn’t have much ability to see anything besides some sharp colors and really dodgy CGI.






Audio: N/A

The same goes for the audio track. I was given the basic 2.0 track to listen to, and it really is nothing to write home about (the track that I was listening to. I can’t verify how the 5.1 mix will sound from other digital retailers). So, my opinion will be left out of this review.







Extras: N/A

Final Score: ​

Accident is not exactly a film that I can really recommend. It’s disjointed, frustratingly edited, and full of bad writing and direction. I’m not familiar with Dan Tondowski’s other works, but if Accident is anything to judge his efforts on, I would run far away from anything that he’s involved in. The movie plods on, and feels like a 2 hour + film rather than the short 95 minutes it really is. Once again, this is a digital movie so the audio and video specs (as well as extras) are rather rudimentary as the source I was give to review is what’s known as a “screener” stream. Which is hampered by low resolution and no extras that may come with an Itunes, Amazon or other digital service provider’s copy. Still, I would personally just skip it.



Technical Specifications:

Starring: Stephanie Schildknecht, Roxane Hayward, Tyrone Keogh
Directed by: Dan Tondowski
Written by: Dan Tondowski
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital
Subtitles: None
Studio: Well Go USA
Rated: NR
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: April 3rd, 2018

Image

• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Skip It

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Will skip it based on your recommendation.

 

[Jeff S]

Probably pass on this one. Thanks for the review.
As a side note, the title reminded me of a interesting movie I saw back in the early 90's called Shattered. This wasn't a huge hit, more of a sleeper. Starred Bob Hoskins, Tom Berenger, and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. I really enjoyed the movie and the plot twists. Try Shattered instead of Accident and you have an enjoyable afternoon of movie viewing.

 

[Asere]

I will pass too

 

[Michael Scott]

Probably pass on this one. Thanks for the review.
As a side note, the title reminded me of a interesting movie I saw back in the early 90's called Shattered. This wasn't a huge hit, more of a sleeper. Starred Bob Hoskins, Tom Berenger, and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. I really enjoyed the movie and the plot twists. Try Shattered instead of Accident and you have an enjoyable afternoon of movie viewing.

wow, I haven't seen shattered since I was a little kid! That brings back vague memories.

 

[Jeff S]

wow, I haven't seen shattered since I was a little kid! That brings back vague memories.

Yeah, not a high budget film but well written and good twists. Worth a rental and 2 hours of time. The title of this movie just made me think of that due to the whole story revolving around an accident.