Residing in Denver, Colorado has its perks, but it also has its downsides. One of the downsides is that I typically miss out on some really awesome film festivals that run through NY and LA. Lucky for me though, the great people at MovieBuzzers.com welcomed me into their family recently and I was able to screen, what I would say, is probably one of the better films shown at the NYAFF. Directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya, the movie Countdown hits all the right chords for being a thriller, but also brings some extremely dark humor to, what should have been, a typical New Year’s Eve night. Instead, our trio of roommates is handed the New Year’s Eve they would have never anticipated.
This movie is hard to explain due to the twists and turns it takes the viewer on. The short synopsis is this: It’s New Year’s Eve in New York City and three Thai roommates are looking to blow off a little steam and relax by getting high beyond belief. The problem? Jack (Pachara Chirathivat) has only one contact that has decided to stop doing and selling weed and is packing up to go home to Thailand. During this dialogue, Jack notices a nail gun (which his friend gives him), as well as a ripped up business card from a “Jesus”, with a marijuana leaf on it. Thinking this is the dealer, Jack brings the torn pieces back to the apartment, pieces the card back together, only to notice one number is missing on the phone number. With his girlfriend Bee (Jariporn Junkiet) and their roommate Pam (Peak Patarasaya), they decide to try the number 212-526-2013 (for the New Year). Lo and behold, a man named Jesus (David Asavanond) answers the phone and states he will be there by 9pm with their party favors.
Jesus does arrive at exactly 9:00 pm and begins a drug-fueled conversation with Jack, Pam and Bee. Bee seems to be the only skeptical one of the group and is quite aware that something is not right with their drop in drug dealer. While Jack and Pam begin to get stoned, Bee listens to Jesus’ stories, which include a story about Jesus’ dog that wouldn’t stop chewing on his couch. After hearing the story (and the horrific demise of the dog), Bee tries to separate herself from the group, only to be convinced to smoke the “Enlightenment” with the others.
To divulge any more information would do this movie some disservice. Going into all of the clues and foreshadowing it places on screen would destroy the anxiety I felt while watching this movie. Countdown was not only a fantastic thriller, but, because of David Asavanond’s comedic timing, it provides some of the darkest humor I have seen on film in quite sometime. When Bee tells Jack to hurry up and pay Jesus for the drugs and they try to hurry him out of the apartment, you can see a switch in Jesus’ head flip and the audience realizes that this visit is far from over for our three kids.
This movie is far from gore or any type of torture porn; however, it isn’t for the extremely squeamish. I did have to hide my eyes due to the intensity of some of the scenes, but the way our trio begins atoning for their sins never becomes exploitative. The viewer constantly wonders throughout the entire film whether Jesus is the devil, a psychopath, a God, or all three. When the movie ends, the viewer is left, sitting in the dark, making that decision themselves.
My hope for this wonderful gem of a movie is to gain the respect it deserves before Hollywood reinvents it. I’m not a fan of the constant remakes and reboots that are constantly circling the theaters (and rarely catching on with today’s movie crowd). This movie is absolutely brilliant and, for me, is a stand alone knock out from the NYAFF.
Rating: With a summer of superheroes, it’s quite nice to have an original storyline that grips the viewer and makes them think about what sins they may need to atone for. (7/10)
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