So let’s start by saying that I’ve been looking forward to seeing Adverse for a while now, I’ve enjoyed Brian A. Metcalf’s work with Thomas Nicholas before when I got the chance to preview The Lost Tree back in 2016.
The film boasts a big-name cast along with Thomas Nicholas including Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist, Carlito’s Way), Sean Astin (The Goonies, The Lord of the Rings), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Sin City), Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba, Young Guns) and Matt Ryan (Constantine, The Flash), the story of the film is about a rideshare driver (Nicholas) who discovers that his sister (Kelly Arjen) is in debt to a dangerous crime syndicate and takes it into his own hands to sort out the situation.
ADVERSE is a bit of a slow burner of a film, we start with getting to know about Ethan and how his life isn’t exactly what he may have wanted, things start to take a turn when he picks up Kaden (Rourke) in his car as he discovers that his sister owes money he tries to look after his sister who certainly seems to have a rebellious side and really puts his nerves to the test.
But there is one key moment that you see Ethan moving well into a spiral of anger and blames his councillor played by Lou Diamond Philips, but in turn, Dr Cuze inadvertently puts the idea of revenge in Ethan’s mind and this is where Adverse takes a dramatic turn as Ethan takes a job with Kaden (Rourke).
Adverse is a gritty well put together drama that adds scenes that pack a punch to keep your attention, there are also a few twists that work very well that you may not be excpeting.
As I mentioned earlier Adverse is a bit of a slow film to start with but at the halfway point things start to move along at a faster past and what we get is a revenge movie that has some of those classic movie feelings such as Taxi Driver I even had that feeling of a character from the Grand Theft Auto games doing missions for the big boss.
The steady build-up of the film is what really works for me, and the change in Ethan’s character from start to finish is excellent, Thomas Nicholas really carries the character well, and Brian A. Metcalf certainly knows how to bring out Thomas’ emotions in the character that he is portraying.
One thing that many may be surprised at is that this is not an all-out action movie, the first trailer released for the film (which we have included in this review) really portrays the film the best, Adverse is a film that rolls along nicely and when the moments of action arrive they are certainly worth the wait.
Brian A. Metcalf certainly has a look to his films and that goes for the direction as well, I really enjoy his style of shooting and what he brings out of the cast and in particular, when Metcalf and Nicholas work together in productions they produce something worth watching and Adverse is no exception. There are some great moments from cinematographer Derrick Cohan, look out for a scene on the rooftop at night it looks fantastic.
Adverse is a film that has some excellent surprises throughout the film, it can be emotional at times with some of the flashbacks and brutal at others with some the action sequences that aren’t afraid to throw some of the red stuff about. This is certainly a film worth checking out.
A Powerful and Sometimes Brutal Drama
Movie title: Adverse
Movie description: A rideshare driver discovers that his sister is in debt to a dangerous crime syndicate.
Date published: February 12, 2021
Country: USA
Duration: 1h 34min
Director(s): Brian A. Metcalf
Actor(s): Thomas Nicholas, Mickey Rourke, Penelope Ann Miller
Genre: Crime, Drama
Summary
Brian A. Metcalf brings us a powerful and sometimes brutal drama that has a stellar cast.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
