I had a pretty nice little lead-in for this review but I feel like it gives too much away and that the discovery is part of the wonders this movie has to offer. Sure, twists and mysteries, once learned, lose their novelty but they don’t necessarily lose their power. A film like NEW LIFE offers more than just a ‘gotcha’ moment, but it is getting to the heart of what is going on that makes that initial viewing so breathless and some things we should discover on our own and not in the lead into the review.
NEW LIFE follows a young woman on the run. She isn’t exactly certain why but there are people after her and all she can do is run. Keeping to the country, steering clear of people as much as she can, she simply wants to get north, perhaps to Canada, On her trail is a woman who will not stop until she captures her target. She has a mystery of her own, a secret she is desperate to protect. These two women are both running from something and in that, they are running towards each other.
This is a REALLY good thriller. It’s paced well, very well acted, and the tension ramps up patiently until we finally see the whole of the picture and our feelings completely upend. The music is good, and noninvasive, though serving as a great point at the end when we aren’t expecting it. The film has a nice look and it’s well shot, making the most of the small towns and countryside. While there are a couple of things I kinda said – reeeeeally? – about in my head, this is a really good movie. What’s interesting is that when it’s all over you are still left with questions, which is not a bad thing. We don’t need all the answers to appreciate the film, we’ll just have more to consider afterward.
We have seen movies like this, and stories like this, but there’s a vibrant heart here and an underlying sadness that make the film stand out. Knowing that we can’t outrun everything but putting it off as long as we can to try to find that life we feel we deserve.
Hopefully, this catches some eyes as it’s released because it’s a very solid, very good movie with some creepy elements to it. Definitely worth a look when it hits the world.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18973958/
4 out of 5
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 