Movie Name/Year: The Alternate (2022)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Length: 1h 27min
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Bursell Productions, Uncork’d
Entertainment
Director: Alrik Bursell
Writer: Alrik Bursell
Actors: Ed Gonzalez Moreno, Natalia Dominguez
Blurb from IMDb: Upon unlocking a portal to an alternate dimension where all his dreams have come true, struggling filmmaker Jake is forced to confront his idealized self.
Selina’s Point of View:
I’ve heard some
buzz about
The Alternate, not a lot, but the quality of every word was sky-high.
The people who have been talking, have been saying that it was a damn good
film. When I realized it was a screener I had access to, I jumped on the chance
to see what the fuss was all about.
Upon doing a bit of
research, I found that there was a crowdfunding element to it. There’s a
profile for
The Alternate on Seed & Spark and it raised just over
$20,000 in a month.
I think investors
should be proud.
The
Alternate is worth more
than the buzz it’s already getting.
This project is a
good example of why it’s worth supporting new voices. Writer/director Alrik
Bursell (
Brother, The Rage, High Stakes) has a few shorts under his
belt, but this is his full-length feature film debut. Using
The Alternate as
an introduction to him, I think we can expect some good thing.
He does
characters right. Although the main character is a bit on the obnoxious side, his
frustration at having to ‘sell out’ is relatable. Anyone who chooses a creative
career know the depth of crushing self-doubt that’s portrayed. Because he has
this very human aspect to him, it makes it easier to take the strange ride
alongside Jake as he spirals.
It would have
been very easy for Bursell to fall into a hole with Jake as a main character. If
a character is too obnoxious, with nothing to tie viewers to them, that’s
pretty much the end of the film. People stop caring almost instantly.
The concept of
The
Alternate is not a new one. I’m reminded of
VHS: Viral (2014),
specifically the segment: “Parallel Monsters.” The base idea of finding a
different version of oneself in a portal is typical, that’s just the latest
flick that comes to mind. I could point out any number of early 2000s TV shows
that use the idea for an episode or two, as well. I don’t think it’s an idea
that would land on an ‘overused’ list, but it’s common.
What then elevated
The Alternate?
If you read my
2017 review of
VHS: Viral then you know I hated it. With one of the segments
sharing a concept with
The Alternate why wouldn’t that have brought up
my score for
Viral?
I’d say the
acting is comparable, the setting is, as well.
The difference is
in seeming small things. It’s the accurate reaction Jake initially had to
finding the portal. It’s how the character of the wife is so different between
dimensions that it’s almost hard to see her as the same actor. It’s the bold,
and suddenly horrific, ending. It’s Bursell’s voice in the script.
The way the film
is shot, and the feel of the dialogue, takes
The Alternate from being a
basic recipe to rising above.
I am not familiar
with the rest of Alrik Bursell’s work, but I’m thinking I should be.
The
Alternate will be available
on DVD and Digital September 13.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 8.3/10
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5
Trust-the-Dice’s
Parental Advisory Rating:
R
P.S. Some short scenes during the
credits.
Movie Trailer: