A timely action crime thriller that probes deep into the gritty world of human trafficking. In an effort to control the city, Mayor Don Alderman (John Savage, The Thin Red Line) lets the Russian mafia into his city. After the Russians betray him, he opens the city to the Cartel to push them out. Mikhail, the head of the Russian mafia (Harley Wallen, Bennett’s Song), counters by kidnapping the Mayor’s daughter Marie Alderman (Kaiti Wallen, Into A Dark Mind). Caught in the middle of a gang war, Mayor Alderman hires Mike Wolf (Billy Wirth, The Lost Boys) and Alpha (TJ Storm, Punisher Warzone) to rescue his daughter before Mr. Stone (Richard Tyson, Black Hawk Down) puts her on the market to be trafficked.
With the LA premier on 26th September I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of Harley Wallen’s latest action-thriller Betrayed, which he wrote, directed and also features. Betrayed is a very personal project which Harley was originally inspired to write after seeing the numbers for human trafficking which are highlighted at the start of the film; and with a wife and three daughters, it is no surprise that it really hit home.
In a recent interview about why he made the film, he said; “There are multiple ways to make people jump into action and I feel sometimes by showing the dark underbelly you can really hit people and make them say “I want to step up and to do something”. That was my attempt with this movie to shed some light and put this in everyone’s backyard”.
For me, Betrayed really delivers in what Harley set out to achieve. It works brilliantly as a tense action-thriller but also manages to deliver a powerful message by taking a serious look at the dark exploitative world of trafficking.
I have been impressed with Harley’s previous films, which despite the modest budget have always been entertaining. This is mainly due to his focus on performances, which are built around the foundations of a great story. Betrayed continues that ethos with a well-crafted multi-layered plot, which seamlessly interweaves the various characters affected by the trafficking – bringing them all together without it ever feeling convoluted.
I recently watched Harley’s family drama Bennet’s Song (2018), so it is great to see him sharing the screen again with actress Aphrodite Nikolovski; albeit in very different roles to what they had played previously. Harley delivers a convincing performance as the volatile Russian Mikhail Kovalchek, where he once again proves his range as an actor. This may not be one of his most likeable characters, but once again he delivers a strong performance with an attitude that makes him memorable. Aphrodite continues to impress once as the hardened Detective Sandra Miller, who along with Detective Alex Redford (Jennifer Jelsema) tries to uncover the disappearance of the mayors daughter Marie. However, as they begin to dig deeper they uncover something bigger than they were expecting. It is another strong performance from Aphrodite which shows that she is definitely someone to look out for in the future.
Harley and Aphrodite may not have many scenes together in Betrayed, but when they are together they certainly create a lot of tension working from opposite sides of the law. A scene in which a frustrated Detective Miller is trying to obtain CCTV, from a conceited and seemingly untouchable Mikhail really stood out for me as a precedent of the situation.
The film brings together an impressive cast which includes Richard Tyson, Blanca Blanco and Yan Birch. It is, however, veteran actor John Savage who shows his experience with an expressive performance as Mayor Alderman. After realising too late that he is losing control of his city to the Russian mafia, he continues to try and maintain his composure (at least on the outside) whilst knowing that everything is falling apart around him. It is a powerful performance by John and despite knowing what he has allowed to happen in the past, you can’t help but sympathise with the desperate plight of his character.
Billy Wirth delivers a more brooding Bronson-esque performance as Mike Wolf, proving when it comes to building up the tension, less can often prove to be more, especially when building up the tension. With a calm detached persona, Billy doesn’t give too much away, although the delivery of his quips during the tense interrogation scenes create a dark humour against the violence. With that being said the delivery still has an ominous feel where you know that it will not end well.
To give the viewer a break from the dark tone there are some humorous action moments with the introduction of Alpha (TJ Storm) during an underground fight scene and Cash (Nick Sarelli) during a hustle. Although it does deviate somewhat from the overall feel, the action works to give the film a change of pace and doesn’t distract too much from the main story.
The most impressive performance for me, however, was from Sean Rey as Darryl who despite following orders, does not his seem completely suited to the crime world. Sean delivers an impressive performance and more than holds his own against a more experienced cast. Finding himself torn between his commitment to Mikhail and his conscience, there is a real vulnerability to the character which he continues to hide behind an impassive front.
Having seen some of Harley’s previous films he has at times decided not to show some of the more graphic moments, which allows the viewer to create their own interpretation of events. With Betrayed, however, he wants to leave a very visual impression for the viewer and includes a very visual torture scene which is not for the squeamish. The most effective moments for me, however, is when we see a drugged up and caged Marie Alderman (Kaiti Wallen), who has been taken prisoner. With a solid performance from Kaiti it makes for uncomfortable viewing, as Marie, knowing her inevitable fate decides that she will do anything she can to survive. Without going to the levels of exploitation the scenes really have an impact as it gives you an insight into the grim reality of the situation.
Harley continues to improve as a director and although he plays to his strengths he always seem to incorporate something different into his next film. Betrayed continues this trend bringing together an amazing cast and taking a leap in regards to production. Following on from the success of his previous films, this is a real step up for Harley with what is easily his most accomplished and impressive film so far.
Review of the action thriller Betrayed
Movie title: Betrayed
Movie description: In an effort to control the city the Mayor opens the doors to the Russian Mob. It is not long until he realizes they aren't going to follow his rules. To fix the problem he accepts an offer to set up the Russians and open the door for the Cartel. When the Russians find out they take the Mayors Daughter and then the real games begin.
Director(s): Harley Wallen
Actor(s): John Savage, Richard Tyson, Billy Wirth, T.J. Storm, Harley Wallen, Kaiti Wallen, Yan Birch, Blanca Blanco, Aphrodite Nikolovski, Sean Rey, Damien Chinappi
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Summary
In an effort to control the city the Mayor opens the doors to the Russian Mob. It is not long until he realizes they aren’t going to follow his rules. To fix the problem he accepts an offer to set up the Russians and open the door for the Cartel. When the Russians find out they take the Mayors Daughter and then the real games begin.
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
