FORCE OF NATURE

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital and On Demand this week from director Michael Polish and Lionsgate comes a mixture of crime and drama when added to a FORCE OF NATURE.

Cardillo (Emile Hirsch) is having trouble with life and his job being a cop. Wanting to do as little as possible is not going to be the order of his day. As a storm moves in, he is ordered to go building to building to evacuate residents. Helping him with this is Jess (Stephanie Cayo) who sees right away that working with Cardillo is not going to be easy.

First problem is Griffin (William Catlett) who refuses to leave until he has fed his cat! They can’t possibly see what’s coming next when they meet Ray (Mel Gibson), an ex-cop who is set in his way and in the chair he has staked his claim to. Arguing with Cardillo and Jess, Troy (Kate Bosworth) steps in to settle the dispute. On another floor there is Cruz (Joksan Ramos) and they convince him to go with them only to be met by men carrying guns.

That would be Migs (Blas Sien Diaz), Dillion (Tyler Jon Olson) and Bennie (Julio Velez) and more who are ordered by John (David Zayas) to get what Cruz has. Confused yet? Oh don’t be because mother nature is about to make her entrance into the mix and with Ray on their side it doesn’t bode well – or does it?

Hirsch as Cardillo is all grown up and in a role that has secrets of his own. Cardillo isn’t happy by any means to go out into the storm, he’d rather stay behind the police desk and ride out the weather. When ordered to go, he is still doing it kicking and screaming and making it clear to anyone who will listen that helping people is not his agenda.

Bosworth as Troy does her best to keep Cardillo and Ray from knocking each other out which helps since she’s a doctor. Helping where she can and having eyes where they need them is her goal. Gibson as Ray sees what everyone is up against as an ex-cop, he does not mind getting in one last shot at the bad guys. He is a grumpy old codger that does not like to be told what to do which is interesting because Cardillo is exactly the same - only 30+ years younger.

Cayo as Jess isn’t having an easy time working with Cardillo but an even less easy time with the bad guys looking for them. New to the precinct, I’m sure this isn’t what she signed up for as a perfect storm is brewing! Catlett as Griffin has a little furry friend that takes precedence over anything else but sometimes furry friends have claws. Griffin wants to leave but quickly becomes part of the chaos.

Now the villainy! Diaz as Migs, Olson as Dillon and Velez as Bennie are men taking orders from Zayas as John. They aren’t about to let a little thing like hurricane winds and torrential rains stop them from getting what they want. I mean what do they have to lose right?

Other cast include: Jorge Ramos as Bergkamp, Vazquez as Pride, Jesy McKinney as Babie, Xavier Reyes as Ernesto and Luillo Ruize as Super Louie Joe.

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FORCE OF NATURE is a story filled with twists and turns with the most unlikely of characters calling the shots. Surrounded by a Cat-5 hurricane, it only makes things even more deadly and more dangerous. There are moments where its easy to get wrapped up in both!

The characters aren’t hard to grasp and each has a story to tell, just ask Griffin, and it comes out in bits and pieces are the inner-building game of cat and mouse continues. The hurricane is frosting on the cake.

In the end – when the perfect crime meets the perfect storm!