‘Braek’ Review: A One-Location Revenge Tale

The injustice of power is a very well-explored topic both in literature and film. You can find hundreds of books, novels, TV shows, and even video games dealing with how power is utilized, how it can corrupt, and how hard it is for it to stay nice and clean. From superhero movies to the most intense dramas, these types of stories really call to us, the viewers, as we are basically always facing these issues in our real lives. This is why it is so cathartic when finally, at least in fiction, those who use power incorrectly get what they deserve.

Braek is a film directed by John Fallon and written by Fallon himself alongside Kevin Interdonato. The film stars Kevin Interdonato, Melissa Anschutz, Alix Lane, and Nick Baillie. The film tells the story of a family on vacation. They rent a peaceful cabin away from civilization, but soon enough, the tense peace of the house is broken by a mysterious individual looking for help. When the family decides to help this individual, it will open a Pandora’s Box that won’t ever shut down again.

I never understood the reason behind Braek’s strange title, especially when, in the beginning, it shows that it is a corruption of the word, break. Maybe that was the intention. However, it still seems weird to name your movie after something that is so unclear. What is not unclear is what this movie is about. From some very early scenes, you can feel that the movie is leading toward a certain topic, which is done in a very natural and disturbing way. No one really stops the introduction to tell you what is happening; you just know.

This is a fine example of writing, but also of the very solid performances that are contained within the film. Braek is not a high-budget production, it is clear to see, thanks to the quality of the cinematography, which has that TV film quality that is now only associated with the cheapest of TV productions. So, to balance things out, the writing and the performances go to another level. There is nothing here that we haven’t seen before, yet it works because everyone is taking the production seriously, so that is the only way the viewer can take it.

Interdonato, who also collaborates as a writer in the movie, takes the biggest role for himself. It is the showiest performance in the movie, but he manages to make it feel real and dangerous. Jesse, his character, is very mysterious, but with just a couple of throwaway lines here and there, you already know everything you need to know about this person. At times, it might feel like Jesse is a bit too much, and Interdonato is doing a lot of overacting, but in context, it makes sense for the character to be so out there.

The rest of the cast does very solid work as well. Baillie becomes despicable; you might want to punch him whenever he opens his mouth. Lane and Anschutz’s roles are way smaller, but they manage to effectively do what they must do—especially Lane, who captures that look of repressed feelings quite well. You will start seeing a lot coming from her in the future. The performances are the best thing about the movie.

The story is paper thin. The story can be summarized as just an interrogation dealing with a very important topic. We won’t tell you the topic, as discovering it as the movie progresses is one of the best things about the film. However, outside of that, there isn’t much else. There is a very long first act that might feel like it is being stretched out in search of tension, but the conversations happening as this sequence progresses are not interesting enough. You know something will happen, but not when making it really stressful.

There is also an attempt to include some action in the film, but this section left me completely confused, not only because it felt completely out of place. The actors in that sequence are the weakest link in terms of performance, and it felt weird. It serves as an external conflict for one of our characters, but that is it. Maybe if that section could have been better linked with the rest of the story, it would have felt more meaningful and exciting.

In the end, Braek is a solid movie that knows how to create tension and intensity. The performances are the best thing about the movie, while the visuals and the story might be too generic or sparse to cause any meaningful impression. The film also deals with trendy topics that make it relevant in today’s world. Some weird decisions are being made here and there, especially towards the middle, but as the movie ends, there is a nice feeling of satisfaction watching those last few minutes.

SCORE: 7/10