The review of the survival movie with thriller undertones produced by Sam Raimi and directed by Brian Netto and Adam Schindler. From October 25, 2024 on Netflix.
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| Image Credit: Netflix |
After reading the names and surnames of those involved in Don’t Move, the survival movie with thriller undertones that landed on Netflix last October 25, 2024, you can’t help but be encouraged to watch it. If the film’s credits include figures such as Sam Raimi as producer, the couple Brian Netto and Adam Schindler in the director’s chair, and talented actors such as Kelsey Asbille and Finn Wittrock, then the chances of watching a noteworthy film are quite high. Unfortunately for him and for us, however, the fruition on the Stars and Stripes platform has demonstrated the opposite, making the film in question the perfect example of how a potentially good starting point and a very dignified cast are wasted.
The story of Don’t Move revolves around the odyssey of a victim unable to move even a single muscle to defend himself
Let’s start by saying that the Achilles heel of the operation lies mainly in the screenplay co-written by T.J. Cimfel and David White. The idea on which the plot is based certainly does not shine for originality, yet the initial expectations did not come. If we think of Monkey Shines, Wrecked, Circle of Snails, or The Bone Collector, passing through Midsommar and the unforgettable masterpiece by Wes Craven, The Serpent, and the Rainbow, building the story on and around the odyssey of a victim unable to move even a single muscle to defend himself has been exploited dozens of times. Those cited are some examples of films that share this and other similarities in the plot with Don’t Move.
Here we find a woman on the run fighting to save her life from an unknown psychopath and multiple murderers, who kidnaps and kills his prey before a paralyzing substance injected into her takes effect and shuts down her body. The setting for this, which is simultaneously a battle for survival and against time, could only be a forest. Even in this case, the setting chosen is not new for events that have as their narrative and dramaturgical center the hunt for the prey of the moment by one or more bad guys. The protagonist therefore has no choice but to run, fight, and hide for the entire duration of the timeline.
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| Image Credit: Netflix |
The screenplay is the Achilles heel of the film, while the packaging and the performances of the two protagonists are the strong points
The whole thing takes place among the thick vegetation of a forest and rocks overlooking nothingness, with the wild nature representing a third threat to face. But it is not so much the series of traceable analogies that weaken the operation, but the dynamics that are created between the prey and the hunter, respectively a grieving mother and a manipulative killer. If the reasons that brought the former to the right place at the wrong time come through loud and clear, differently those that move the latter's actions, even in the face of the obvious danger of being discovered by someone, remain unresolved.
And it is this unresolved knot, in our opinion crucial for the credibility of the story, that weighs like a millstone on the result and the fate of the film. It's a shame because the direction, well supported by the editing and photography of Zach Kuperstein, manages to create both a discreet rhythm and a certain suspense, just as the performances of Asbille and Wittrock contribute to giving the right level of tension to the scenes. In particular, the actress, already appreciated in Yellowstone in the role of a Native American, succeeds in the difficult task of acting for most of the film only with her gaze and with a body devoid of movement.
Don’t Move: evaluation and conclusion
Despite an inspired direction, the presence of Sam Raimi in production, a well-made photographic package, and editing capable of giving the whole rhythm and a good tension, Don’t Move pays for the dramaturgical shortcomings and the many inaccuracies of the script. The latter is the Achilles heel of a film that represents the classic missed opportunity, for which the viewer unfortunately has to come to terms.
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