A filmmakers feature film directorial debut is never an easy one.
It's a totally different game compared to making a short or documentary.
It usually gives you an idea of what their style and approach is. Every now and then, you get a debut that creates so much impact that you become a major awards contender overnight.
Ford director Lola Quivoron, I could see that they had an eye for tracking action both in a conventional and hand-held way.
They also their stories to be character driven.
This particular film had a nice balance. There is obvious Fast & Furious vibes with its narrative, character tropes and set pieces. But instead of cars, we have bikes and quads. While it obviously lacks the high budget, it makes up for it in its time given to its characters.
Plus, the action is was very impressive in its content and camerawork. They clearly had recruited well in hiring actual riders to perform the stunts.
Both of these aspects gave a lot of energy and created a believable world with characters although almost all of them were unlikable, they felt real.
The ending sadly was a bit of a disappointment for me. It did feel rushed as a number of important sequences felt unexpectedly short and were covered really quickly. It was a shame and it felt out of character with the rest of the films pacing character choices.
As mentioned earlier, the cast do a really good job. The majority of them looked to be older teenagers or in their early 20's. They were hard-edged, street-wise and gave off a lot of energy and charisma which made the film flow well.
The lead Julie Ledru in particular was very good was pretty good. Even though her actions made her unlikable, her toughness made her somewhat sympathetic at the same time.
So while there was little original about it, its execution made for a largely solidly put together drama. The imagery was pleasingly frenetic at times and the characters were dynamic.
I just would have liked the final act to have more of a satisfying execution. Lots to like from Quivoron and I hope they have more projects on the horizon.
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