Review of Number 37 (2018) by Maxebryan — 19 Feb 2019

Wonderfully executed, Number 37 pays its homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, and then some. Set in South Africa, the film features a low-level criminal who, after losing access to his legs and becoming wheelchair bound, is given a pair of binoculars by his girlfriend to occupy him while he’s cooped up in his apartment.

One day, the protagonist witnesses a murder which he tries to use to his own advantage to free himself from the grasp of a violent and malevolent loan shark. Something I really liked about 37 is that it was able to set the tone right from the get-go and keep its pacing throughout the entirety of the movie.

Right away, the film’s opening scene, which introduces the protagonist and his dealings with the aforementioned loan shark, is graphic and intense enough to rival several film climax’s I’ve seen.

However, it goes without saying that Number 37 is certainly able to deliver on its own climax (but I won’t give any spoilers here). Something else that really stood out from 37, was its incredible set design.

Watching the film, I truly would’ve believed that the whole film was shot on location or that the film crew just borrowed some peoples apartments and told them to leave it “as is”. It made the film so much more immersive and I never felt myself being pullout away from the movie or having the cinematic illusion break.

Nevertheless, 37 is a fantastically gritty and suspenseful love story to Rear Window, that delivers on its pacing and immersion. I fully recommend.