Review of Still Here (2020) by Kenr — 07 Nov 2021

Having good intentions is not always a guarantee of making a good movie - unless you are good at what you do. ‘Still here’ looked promising on paper but comes in as a difficult watch on many levels - including, messy editing, direction, photography, and a poorly realized script - featuring very few convincing situations and many unfocused characters.

It comes across as another excuse to push the agenda of the unhelpful law and its big bad white guy type policing...offering little more than supposition to back up its accusations. Then, as if attempting to add some form of balance, one of the white detectives is shown in a detailed scene having an unexplained change of heart – but, his epiphany results in changing nothing, next we see of him he’s right back to his nasty ol self.

These types of character inconsistencies continue across the board. Several performances belong to the over the top school of expression – while some of this might sometimes work, overall, it’s ultimately tiresome.

The story is claimed as based on facts but these ‘facts’ tend to come across as manufactured and mostly unbelievable (especially the resolution). Pity, as it offers the odd good line, and might have been better if given a sure-handed approach.

A pile-on of endless foul language adds nothing to the general proceedings.