[Movie Review] THE DARK END OF THE STREET

[Movie Review] THE DARK END OF THE STREET
Courtesy of Gravitas Ventures
We hear and read about grisly crimes all the time. But what if it happens right in your own neighborhood? What are the ramifications of sick, twisted violence occurring in the place you call home? These are the things audiences will get to explore in THE DARK END OF THE STREET.

THE DARK END OF THE STREET was written and directed by Kevin Tran and produced by Tran, Chelsea Slayter, Sebastian Slayter, and Scott Friend. It stars Scott Friend, Lindsay Burdge, Brooke Bloom, Jim Parrack, Michael Cyril Creighton, Jennifer Kim, Daniel K. Isaac, Anthony Chisholm, Ajay Naidu, Christine M. Campbell, and Rod Luzzi.

THE DARK END OF THE STREET consists of several interconnected stories about the residents of a suburban neighborhood, held together by the revelation that there is a pet murderer in their midst. In between going about their lives over the course of one night, the neighborhood residents speculate on a possible criminal profile of the killer—of course, it’s all speculation though because none of these people are detectives; at best, they’re armchair criminologists.

But the pet killer isn’t really what draws us into the world of the film: it’s the other characters. The unassuming and comfortable people living in suburbia with their own goals, their own problems, and their own insecurities. The film is about a soon-to-be father trying to hold onto some irresponsible excitement; it’s about the parents raising their daughter; it’s about the teenagers filling their evenings with skating and band practice.

Of course, it’s also about the woman who comes home to find that her cat has been murdered…but her arc isn’t just about the cat.

THE DARK END OF THE STREET is less a crime thriller than it is a snapshot of modern American life.

The film is quiet and intimate, right down to the cinematography. It’s unassuming and at times, it’s awkward and even a little boring. But that’s life, isn’t it? Even when violent crimes are being committed right outside your door, you’re not always in on the action. Sometimes you’re just existing and going through the motions of daily life.

With a runtime of a mere 70 minutes, this is a film that’s effective in a sort of sneak-attack style. While you’re watching it, you’re waiting on the edge of your seat for something explosive to happen. When it comes, it’s not the end of the story—because in real life, the story doesn’t end with a single action; there are consequences that directly follow it.  And that’s reflected in this film. The action, as well as the cast of characters, in THE DARK END OF THE STREET, has a verisimilitude that haunts the viewer long after the credits roll.

THE DARK END OF THE STREET is now available on VOD nationwide via Gravitas Ventures.

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