Review of Surveillance (2008) by Max H — 25 Sep 2009

Jennifer Lynch inherits her father's dark side.

Surveillance (2009) - 5.7/10.

Director - Jennifer Lynch.

Starring - Julia Ormond, Bill Pullman, Pell James, Ryan Simpkins, French Stewart, Kent Harper, Cheri Oteri, Michael Ironside.

FBI Agents Elizabeth Anderson (Julia Ormond) and Sam Hallaway (Bill Pullman) arrive in a small desert town to investigate a mass shooting on a nearby highway. A serial killer has been on the loose and the two are trying to undercover clues. Three witnesses survive; an eight year old girl, an overzealous police officer, and female junkie. The agents install surveillance equipment in three seperate rooms and interview each witness attempting to unearth what really happened.

Anytime the name "Lynch" is attached to a film you expect something dark, something strange and "Surveillance" is no exception. Jennifer Lynch certainly inherited her father's taste for the distasteful; exploring seedy characters with little to no redeemable qualities. It's also unapologetic in it's display of gruesome violence. It's certainly not for the sqeamish and I suspect many people will turn this off within thirty minutes. Those that stick with it will pulled in by it's unnerving rawness and moral decadence. It twists and turns all while offering clues. I do think the film begins to unravel in the last act as Lynch tries too hard to shock us. Jennifer Lynch may have inherited many things from her famous father but she is nowhere near as polished as a director making this at times a frustratingly uneven project. But despite it's flaws it's intriguing enough to hope she gets another chance to perfect her craft.