One of the most frustrating things about being a critic is when filmmakers respond by saying, “Well why don’t YOU try making a movie.” Being a critic is difficult enough. If you don’t like a movie that is generally loved, you’re looked down upon as just another critic. If you love a movie disliked by audiences, people respond by saying, “That’s why I don’t listen to critics.” In just a few days, two fantastic writers/critics/jacks of all trades will put their money where their mouths are with their film Bystanders.
Bystanders follows Abby (Brandi Botkin), a young woman who goes to a cabin party with a few of her friends. The party is hosted by Abby’s crush Cody (Bob Wilcox) and his fuckboi (to put it lightly) friends. Abby soon finds out that she is in for more than she bargained for when she is drugged, assaulted, and hunted by Cody and his friends. While on the run from Cody, Abby runs into Clare (Jamie Alvey) and Gray (Garrett Murphy), a couple returning from a wedding rehearsal. Unfortunately for Cody and his friends, Clare and Gray plan to have some bloody fun of their own.
Writer Jamie Alvey has written an incredibly confident script. Alvey’s resume runs deep with multiple impressive bylines, and it’s clear that she knows how to tell a story. Each act naturally flows into the next with beats that feel realistic (given the circumstances). Where the script goes awry is the dialogue. The antagonists throw tons of “bitches” and “c*nts” every few seconds in a way that’s either poorly written or improvised. Much of Gray’s dialogue feels too snappy for its own good. There is one specific line delivered perfectly by Garrett Murphy regarding his warranted rage.
Director Mary Beth McAndrews and cinematographer Chance Madison capture Abby’s terrifying trials competently but without much flair. Many shots feel too static or flat, resulting in images that don’t feel incredibly compelling to look at. Where their work shines is through the violence. Bystanders constantly shifts between tell, don’t show, and show, don’t tell. This keeps the audience on their toes, wondering whether or not they’re about to witness something brutal or if something brutal will be implied.
Overall, I appreciated the effort and story behind Bystanders, but it felt a little too predictable. I’m not one to use a review to say what I think should have been done because that’s not productive for conversation. That said, Bystanders would make an excellent Off-Broadway play rather than a feature film. With a modest budget, McAndrew’s directing, and a well-thought-out sound design, this would kill on stage. Maybe that’s just in my mind because the majority of the blocking for this film felt very stage-specific, and every actor felt like they’ve all come from the stage.
Bystanders is a promising debut feature film for writer Jamie Alvey and director Mary Beth McAndrews. It has its faults, but it’s confident in what it is. The story and emotion behind this film are as poignant as could be. At the time, who didn’t want to let Brock Turner loose in the woods and hunt him down with their partner? How fun would it be to have five minutes alone in a room with Harvey Weinstein? Whatever flaws the film has is undercut by just how fun of an idea it is to kill your abuser. In that sense, this film succeeds.
Bystanders hits VOD on January 21. Make sure to support indie horror! You can check out the trailer below.
