She is Captive on THE LEDGE

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres, Digital and On Demand from director Howard J. Ford and Saban Films comes a climb for survival until reaching THE LEDGE.

Kelly (Brittany Ashworth) and bestie Sophie (Anais Parello) are out in the woodsy mountains to do a little climbing. They meet a band of guys clearly led by Joshua (Ben Lamb) with Reynolds (Nathan Welsh), Nathan (Louis Boyer) and Taylor (David Wayman).

Sitting around the campfire having a few drinks and laughs, things turn serious when Sophie teases Joshua. It is clear he does not find her amusing as a darkness sets over them all. When she goes off, the angry Joshua follows and what happens next is horrendous. Reynolds, Nathan and Taylor are panicked by what has happened and listen to everything Joshua tells them.

Hearing the commotion, Kelly grabs her camera and follows the sounds recording every horrible detail. Joshua hears her and notices the camera yelling for all of them to go after her. Doing her best to get away back to the cabin, she grabs a bag with the camera inside and runs!

Knowing they are only steps away; Kelly does what she knows how to do – climb! Heading up the face of the mountain, she finds a spot that the men cannot get to easily. Settling on a precarious ledge, Joshua is determined to get the camera and does not care who or what he sacrifices to get it.

He did not count on coming up against a strong woman and an immovable mountain!

Ashworth as Kelly is no shrinking violet in this film! Fighting for her life and for the truth about Sophie is all she is concerned with. There is no ego in the mix like those chasing her. Doing what she clearly is good at and has been trained for is what is keeping her on that tiny ledge. I enjoyed her performance if only to see Ashworth’s character was not about to back down AND can climb like a very cute mountain goat. Well done!

Lamb as Joshua is clearly a psychopath immediately into the film. Having total control of those around him, Joshua seems to have made it his life’s work to beat down anyone who gets in his way. Controlling his friends when they know good and well he is insane was the part that had my head shaking. Then again, that’s what you want when playing a character like this and Lamb gave it everything.

Boyer, Welsh and Wayman are the ‘friends’ who continually make excuses and exceptions for Joshua’s behavior. This is a very twisted and dangerous batch of guys who are clinging to a ‘bro code’ out of sheer fear. They know what he is capable of and have experienced it firsthand for years but stopping him is something each of them is unable to do. Going after Kelly is not exactly on their list for an exciting weekend, but neither is dealing with the ugly and frightening Joshua.

Saban Films was launched in 2014 and has built an impressive slate of high-quality feature films distributed with partner Lionsgate. Focusing on talent-driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production to be released across multiple platforms. Films such as SISTER OF THE GROOM, FATMAN and BREACH are part of the wonderful Saban slate, and more information can be found at www.sabanfilms.com.

THE LEDGE is a thriller from beginning to end that is a frightening and disturbing cat and mouse game with a mountain between them. Is it perfect? No. Are their things that sort of take the viewer out of the story for moments here and there? Yes. Is there wording that I could have done without. Yes. I have yet to see a film that does not make me want to go ‘huuuuummmmm’.

Once Ashworth’s character Kelly is on the ledge, I am hooked because she is mentally stronger and less likely to fall apart than the disturbingly-nutty counterpart Joshua. Kelly thinks things through, one step at a time and remembers all she has learned about being on the side of a mountain. Joshua makes hasty decisions based on anger that someone has control over the situation and has the camera!

Having the second half of the film focused on the power of the mountain and that becomes the only cinematography that matters. Ropes and ranting are the theme of the rest of the film and the story gives a grand lesson in patience comes to those who can handle being on a ledge.

In the end – do not lose your grip!

THE CRUCIFIXION

 Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from director Xavier Gens and Lionsgate is a film inspired by true events and the story of THE CRUCIFIXION.

Nicole Rawlins (Sophie Cookson) is fascinated by a case that has made headlines in Romania. A priest named Demetrius has been arrested for the death of a young girl named Adelina and Nicole knows there is more to the story. Deciding to investigate the situation, she convinces her editor Phil (Alexis Rodney) to give her support.

The story she learns is that a young girl has been supposedly possessed and that the priest accused of murder was in the middle of an exorcism when it was stopped. On her way to the hospital she died but also under more mysterious circumstances. Nicole knows she must go back to the beginning and visit the locations and speak to those who may know more than they are telling.

She turns to Father Anton (Corneliu Ulici) to explain the process that led to the girl’s death. Telling Nicole the process of how demons possess and how it’s possible to go from one person to another, she looks once again at the photos from the crime scene. Speaking with her sister Vaduva (Brittany Ashworth), Nicole learns that Adelina went to Germany and on her return dealt with the death of a Father Gabriel who she was fond of.

Only getting worse, Nicole knows there is something mysterious that isn’t being said.

Just when she is about to give up the story – something pulls her to keep searching leading her to a boy name Tavian (Florian Voicu) and his father Amanar (Radu Banzaru)!

Prepare to be challenged!

Cookson as Nicole has just the right amount of skepticism and scare in her role. She is curious, not easily swayed and has her own set of beliefs. The more she looks the more the world she doesn’t understand gets closer to her.  Ulici as Father Anton seems to be an unsung hero in the story. He continually tells Nicole what she needs to do to find answers and to be safe at the same time.

Voicu as Tavian holds the key to helping Nicole find the answers. Reaching out to Father Anton it is all about to happen once again.

THE CRUCIFIXION is a story from the creators of ANNABELLE and THE CONJURING so you know it’s going to be filled with jumps and twists. October is the month to be jumpy and this film will happily oblige.

The story unravels slowly and when it all blows apart, prepare for anything to happen. In the vein of religious horror films, THE CRUCIFIXION falls in the hands of Nicole and Father Anton. Stuck in a barn the demon is going to take on anybody that comes near and it doesn’t have a preference towards its next host.

The special effects are what one would expect and the cinematography is beautiful with the small country town feel. The ending is a bit abrupt but the viewer isn’t left wondering what happened to the priest and nuns who were accused of murder.

Cookson does a good job of carrying the majority of the film which is difficult enough to do and she does it with the right amount of twisted creepiness. Ulici is the spiritual cheer leader and although his role isn’t prominent, he does have an impact on the story’s conclusion.

In the end – be careful what you pray for!