Review of Drones (2013) by Nathaniel B — 13 Dec 2013

Low budget? No problem. Rick Rosenthal's film about Sue and Jack, two drones pilots manoeuvring their unmanned military vehicles across the plains of Afghanistan in search for terrorists, find a primary suspect but also find themselves having to come to terms with their conscience.

Ninety per cent of this thriller takes place in a Hitchcockian restrictive setting of an unbearably bunker from where the pilots control the drones and where Rosenthal and scriptwriter Matt Whitten explore the dangers of the advancement of technology in warfare and the chilling reality of a remote-control conflict.

Its cleverness makes this apparently restrictive thriller far superior from most of the other higher budget films of the same kind, while its theatrical dialogue is a great showcase for the two leads Eloise Mumford and Matt O'Leary.

Although it also shows occasional signs of weakness and obviousness, Drones is tense and thrilling but also ambitious in its aim and execution.