directed by:
Roye Mr. R.S. Strawder written by: Roye Mr. R.S. Strawder genre: Comedy |
I respect the rogue way this movie is filmed, even if I don’t think “Strangle” reached its maximum potential. I’m being real with you, and I certainly don’t mean this as any kind of insult – much of what you’ll see in this movie looks like something YOU could do with your own iPhone and some good friends. That’s why I’m kinda digging this in a weird way…it’s like, inspiring, you know? “Strangle” is basically confirmation that you could go out and make a movie any ol’ time you wanted to if you were so inclined. Chances are, you’re not, though – and that’s precisely where Roye Mr. R.S. Strawder comes in to fill the void, following the passion of what’s likely been a hobby of sorts throughout the years. He’s still got some work to do if that’s truly the case, and honestly? Practice and experience are how you get there. “Strangle” was originally released back in 2023, and Strawder’s got one additional credit listed on his official page at IMDB since. Don’t get it twisted – I think it takes tremendous effort to make a full-on indie film with little to no budget. Look at it this way…a true independent film can easily be the tree that falls in the forest when no one is around – if you didn’t follow through with it, did it really get made? In my opinion, it’s more often the less involved ideas that can be at a huge disadvantage when it comes to whether or not artists will stick with what they’re doing. I had a few moments where I was watching “Strangle,” where I’d kind of wonder how Strawder and his crew didn’t abandon ship altogether, so yeah, the flipside of that coin is that you somewhat have to marvel about the fact that any of this got to see the light of day. It’s not that “Strangle” is bad so much as it just suffers from all the competition surrounding it that would likely be watched before it, and to be truthful, there is also a ton of room for this script and scenes to tighten up. It’s pretty much the equivalent of the final cut of something a student would present to pass film school with…and like, I’d give “Strangle” a passing grade, if only to say that there’s still so much more to learn about the craft. It’s still early in Strawder’s career, though; he’s got plenty of time for refinement.
On the positive side of the scenario, I like many of the characters you’ll find in “Strangle” and felt like the full cast was interesting & watchable overall. With the shaky-cam style being a close cousin to found footage in the way things move, I’m cool with that too, and I liked how Strawder would switch it up from scene to scene with a variety of different shots and angles. Fundamentally, whether you’re looking at the writing or the direction, Strawder has much that he is able to build on for the future ahead. We’re witnessing the early side of his career for the moment here, but he’s flexing potential to grow & evolve. So…we do have some noticeable issues here, and they basically get revealed pretty damn quickly when you’re watching “Strangle.” Right there in the opening scene, for instance, you’ve got a moment where the punches are pulled…and the “Strangle” we’re supposed to be seeing isn’t nearly as convincing as it would probably need to be. You’ll find other spots that work in a similar way, like when somebody gets hit with a car, for example…we get the idea, which is a good thing, because the way that’s displayed isn’t likely to be realistic enough for viewers to feel the intensity or suspense a moment like that really calls for. Or what about the scene with the cop and the body later on down the road, which is probably somewhere in the neighbourhood of being like, 30% accurate on how a police officer would handle that situation according to protocol & such? The point remains the same in all of these scenarios, which is that our suspension of disbelief continually gets broken along the way, and Strawder genuinely needs to find a way around that. There are certain things that you can’t take a shortcut with in filmmaking, and that’s quite likely the number one thing – the audience needs to believe what they’re seeing for it to be effective. That doesn’t mean you need a big budget, that doesn’t mean you need effects – what matters more is conviction & confidence in a scene, proper blocking that’s carefully considered, and acting that holds nothing back. There are many points throughout watching “Strangle” that you feel Strawder’s grip on the quality and content slipping. Whether it’s scenes that feel like they go on too long without any bearing or impact on the plotline, to a high degree of ambient sound in the mix and fluctuating levels of audibility, to a storyline that continually seems to circle around itself endlessly in search of what it really wants to say – Strawder needs to lock in, focus up, and cut the unnecessary extraneous details right out. A cardinal rule of any filmmaking is that if it doesn’t move the story forward, cut it out.
What might be the craziest twist of them all, though, is that “Strangle” is billed as a Comedy. In what world? I’m not saying that there isn’t maybe a laugh or two to be had at some point along the way in “Strangle” – but this is not a comedy, y’all…it’s just not. The real issue we have as viewers is trying to define what it is other than that, though. Crime/Mystery? Drama? Reality TV? The point I’m making is that not only is it not enough of a laugh to be considered a Comedy, but it’s not enough of any of those other genres to be put into one category of any kind. That’s not necessarily a bad thing overall, but in a case like this, I feel like the audience out there is likely struggling to figure out what they’re really watching in terms of the plotline and which details they need to pay the most attention to. I’m all for hybrid projects and versatile scripts – I’d tell you that many great films aren’t any one singular ingredient, they’re made of many – but at the same time, you have to master walkin’ before you can run. Narrowing things down in scope, sticking closer to the script, and really tailoring the scenes so that they contribute to the strength of a core idea would benefit Strawder without question. When you’re watching “Strangle,” you can’t help but feel the disconnection that exists between scenes, and that by three-quarters in, the film has wandered way too far away from what it originally presents to us, potentially never to return enough to satisfy us by the end…but I’ll leave that up to you to judge. Much of this film feels too aimless and inconsequential, and that should be Strawder’s biggest concern. Audiences want to be entertained with more than what feels like you’re simply watching a couple of good friends have a conversation or two, and there’s really not much more goin’ on than that in the bulk of what you’ll see throughout “Strangle.” So it’s like…you’re essentially watching gossip and long drawn-out conversations, where Strawder has the ability to SHOW the audience the story, rather than tell it to us like he tends to rely on his characters doing here instead. That’s the real key, right? Movies and film are visual media – we need to see things more than we need to hear’em in that context. Without that, you’re probably running the risk of not quite having enough connection between what’s onscreen and the audience in front of it. I didn’t tune out. I kept on watching, largely because the cast was as likable as they were, but as I watched the hourglass running out on the time left in “Strangle,” I had to wonder if there was going to be enough here for the majority of viewers. Lemme ask you this… what was the climax of this movie? With “Strangle” moving along at such a flat-line type of pace, it’s missing the fundamental dynamics and the ups & downs of a plotline that keep the audience as engaged as they truly need to be. As always, I gotta call things like I see’em based on what’s in front of me, and not the implied potential for the future ahead…I’m giving ”Strangle” two stars outta five – I wish there was more here than there is. |
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