Genre: Drama

Director: Jeremy Kagan

Cast: Noah Wyle, Sharon Leal, and Jorge Lendeborg Jr.

Studio: Grey Point Media

Runtime: 89 minutes

Release Date: In theaters September 22, 2017.

Rated: Not Rated

Rating ★★★★★

Have you ever stopped to think “Man, how does one get shot and keep going” when watching an action film? It seems like bullets feel like nothing but bee stings to the action hero. But what about what really happens when you get shot? You know, the part most movies gloss over? Shot, directed by Jeremy Kagan, attempts to explore this.

Mark (Noah Wyle), a sound mixer finishing up work on a movie, is dealing with a rough patch in his marriage to Phoebe (Sharon Leal). One day after work, the two get into a heated argument on the street while nearby, a man named Miguel (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) attempts to buy a gun to protect himself from bullies. Their lives forever change after the gun accidentally fires, hitting Mark in the chest.

Noah Wyle As Mark

There’s nothing very complex about Shot  but that’s what drew me in. I find the simpler the set-up, the bigger impact the payoff has. While Shot does stumble, sometimes feeling like a PSA, it’s still a surprisingly well-made drama.

What makes Shot effective is its raw and simple execution. Kagan’s direction, while not extravagant, adds a sense of realism as we follow Mark in real time as he goes to the hospital and undergoes different medical tests and surgeries. The lack of music, the unwillingness to shy away from the graphic images, it all leads to sequences that feel uncomfortably realistic.

Wyle’s performance is a true stand out.  While some of his dialogue is rather cliché and his performance wooden at times, he finds a way to make it impactful. One of the most powerful scenes in Shot is the moment his character realizes he was shot by accident because he just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s a heartbreaking moment and Wyle’s performance pushes the knife deeper.

Running parallel to Mark’s story is Miguel’s as he deals with the trauma of shooting and possible killing a person.  While Lendeborg’s storyline is not as compelling as Mark’s because it follows a more predictable, slightly unbelievable story path, he elevates it with his performance. He’s able to sell the moral dilemma he’s

Miguel Deals With The Consequences Of Shooting Mark

experiencing having through his facial expressions alone.

The only character who, unfortunately, is uninteresting is Phoebe. Leal’s performance, while great, ultimately feels a bit wasted as most of the time her scenes have her off to the side looking sad. She works off Wyle flawlessly in their scenes, which are scattered throughout; in the end, her character adds little to the plot.

The movie starts losing its grip on you and begins to feel like a TV movie towards the end. It becomes easy to piece together exactly where the film is heading making you roll your eyes at the cliches. The performances by Wyle, Leal, and Lendeborg help keep Shot grounded and keep it from being a slog. Shot does have a moment where it seems like it will surprise you but almost immediately the film goes “gotcha” as it goes the more traditional route.

Shot can be unsubtle when it comes to its social commentary. At times, it begins to feel heavy-handed due to the dialogue, with characters nearly flat-out telling you exactly what topics the film is commenting on, these ranging from American healthcare, gun control, and racial discrimination. Shot rides that fine line between being insightful and heavy-handed and most of the time, it finds the balance between the two. That is, until the final seconds of the film.

Jorge Lendeborg Jr As Miguel

Right before the credits roll, a text box asks viewers to turn their cell phones on and visit the film’s website to “take action to end gun violence.” This addition, while brief and at the very end of the film, is quite a misstep. It turns Shot into a preachy after-school special. And since it’s the last thing you’re left with, it causes you to feel manipulated by what preceded it. This message was already made clear; having this text is overkill and feels self-promoting.

However, Shot is well-directed, well-acted, and is a unique drama that takes advantage of its small budget and small scale. While the shortcomings can start to weigh the movie down, it’s still worth recommending for those looking to get their drama fix.

For more on this film visit:
Website: http://shotmovie.org

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4323568

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShotEveryonePays/

All Photos: ©2017 Point Grey Media. All Rights Reserved