A One Mann’s Movies review of “Instant Karma” (2021).
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
As a rising media mogul (arf!!), I occasionally get sent ‘screeners’ for upcoming indie movies before release and “Instant Karma” is a case in point. I’ve no idea when/if you may get a chance to see this film on a streaming channel, but here’s my review of it nevertheless.
Give, and you shall receive. (Source: Applied Art Productions).
Plot Summary:
Jeff (Stew Jetson) is down on his luck. His marketing degree has got him nowhere and he is now trying to make ends meet as a “U-lift” driver in Phoenix, Arizona. And then to top it all, his car conks out. But life sometimes has a way of turning the tables, and a loaned car proves to be a gateway to improved fortunes for Jeff and his wife Samantha (Samantha Belle). For when he gives anything to the homeless Harry (Karl Haas) it magically comes back to him ten times over.
My personal experience of Phoenix was that it was an incredibly friendly place: some of the nicest people I’ve met in the States. So it comes as no surprise that a homeless guy (Karl Haas in a nice performance) is personable too. (Source: Applied Art Productions).
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Stew Jetson, Samantha Belle, Karl Haas.
Directed by: Mitesh Kumar Patel
Written by: Scott Gore and Matt Midgette. (From a story by Mitesh Kumar Patel).
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The shapely Samantha Belle. With Stew Jetson. (She’s the one on the left!) Do you see what I mean by the Ally Sheedy comment? (Source: Applied Art Productions).
“Instant Karma” Review:
Positives:
- There’s a quirky joy behind the story and it did keep me watching until the end to find out how it turned out.
- I enjoyed Samantha Belle’s performance. Whilst she has a few rough acting edges, she channelled a sort of cross between Ally Sheedy and Geena Davis that was cute. Elsewhere in the cast, Karl Haas (as Harry, the homeless guy) and Keegan Luther as the luckless Emilio gave, for me, the most naturalistic (and therefore best) performances.
- There’s an ending that, while feeling inconclusive and circuitous, did at least leave me with a smile on my face. (I hope permission was gained for the use of the name in the end titles!).
The luckless Emilio (Keegan Luthor). (Source: Applied Art Productions).
Negatives:
- If you watch, for example, “The Father” you quickly appreciate that the reason Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman are so GREAT in the movie is you NEVER get the feeling that they are acting. Unfortunately, in “Instant Karma”, while I appreciate that all of the cast are giving of their best, almost EVERYONE appears to be acting. While it’s seldom ‘hold your head in your hands’ terrible, the chasm of skill between this cast and the top-flight is vast. The script doesn’t help this by introducing a torrent of different ‘rider’ cast, many of whom should never have been put in front of a camera to deliver lines.
- While the story has potential, the script rambles around and never quite decides what genre it’s going for. Drama? It’s not dramatic enough. Thriller? It tries to go that way in the final reel, but never convincingly (and WHATEVER HAPPENED TO POOR EMILIO????). Comedy? Humourous at times maybe, but never laugh-out-loud funny. (It actually might have made a pretty good comedy – a variant on the “Do you think I asked for a million ducks?” bar joke! This idea (C) Bob Mann 2021!).
- The script is also incomplete and tonally inconsistent. There are sub-plots (e.g. Emilio’s request for the money) that are never fleshed out. And Samantha seems to veer from excitable and supportive sexy wife to full-on psycho-bitch-marital-nightmare from scene to scene.
- When you’ve got a loose script, and a cast with limited experience, don’t over-egg the pudding! The movie is 115 minutes long: I would personally have gone to town in the editing room and got it down to sub-90 minutes. The overall concoction would have been much better. As it is, we have far too many instances of “Karma” in the first half of the film and some ‘filler’ scenes that go on and on (and on and on) without adding anything to the story. For example, there is a ‘spending spree’ montage that, while very nicely put together, goes on for almost two whole minutes. Chop, chop, chop!
- Technically, the sound needs more work. There’s a lot of noise on the soundtrack and some poorly mixed music cues. Lighting inside the car was also an issue in some scenes.
Swerving into “thriller” territory. Ac Larkin as the terrifying Clint. If they’re looking to recast for a “Hellboy” reboot…. (Source: Applied Art Productions).
Summary Thoughts on “Instant Karma”
I enjoyed watching this one more than my long list of “suggested improvements” might suggest.
I remain in awe of a team, with a limited budget, being able to project manage a movie like this to completion. And especially since this was filmed during the pandemic and in the searing heat of an Arizona summer, with the temperature rising to 117 degrees. As such, I hate to fire as many negatives at the film as I have, but I have to review things on a level playing field. With so many rough edges, I can’t give it a better rating than I have, but it gets an A+ for effort, and it’s far from being the worst film I’ve seen so far in 2021.
Trailer for “Instant Karma”:
The trailer for “Instant Karma” is here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLfrmUW3Uwc .
