“Out of Exile” Movie Review

 

 

“Out of Exile”

Movie Review

Kyle Kauwika Harris wrote and directed the film “Out of Exile” starring Peter Greene, Hayley McFarland, Ryan Merriman, Adam Hampton, and Jake Roberts, its music was scored by Cory Perschbacher, and cinematography by Charles E. Elmore. The plot of the movie is that recently paroled thief Gabe Russel is back at it again. After a botched armored car robbery turns up the heat from the FBI, he gets one last shot if he hopes to escape and provide a new life for himself and his estranged daughter.

"Out of Exile" is a crime thriller that presents us with various characters and their intertwined journeys that lead them down the wrong paths. Recently paroled Gabe Russell played by Adam Hampton moves out with hopes of a better life. Better for them is a level of normalcy they have never experienced before. He seems particularly jaded about the life he has led up to that point and the mistakes he has made as a result of his work. Estranged from his family and his daughter Dawn played by Hayley McFarland, who now works at a cafe. She doesn't want to have any kind of communication with him.

Gabe walks the path of his new life with intense guilt for not being able to keep up with her. We feel his strong desire to make things right. He is on the other side unable to fulfill his father's duties himself. Gabe has always longed for the approval of his disapproving father, though never able to. Along with delving into these family relationships, the film also introduces us to a crime thriller narrative. As soon as he is released from prison, he decides to rob a bank with two other people he trusts. However, it fails at the last moment. He has no money and the police are on his trail. In such a case it will not do them any good.

Gabe tries to mend the broken pieces of his family while mapping out a way to get caught in the case. His brother Wesley played by Kyle Jacob Henry also doesn't get on well with him. Returning from the war, he has become a victim of the struggle of the world of crime. Because of his anger issues, he gets into senseless fights out of nowhere to blow off steam. He and Gabe don't see eye to eye. Only a robbery incident brings them together, where the fear of getting caught and the hope of a better future inspire them to become a team.

As they try to heal their family's emotional wounds, FBI agent Brett played by Ryan Merriman searches for the robbers and decides to find them. Not only Russell, but also Brett, who suffers from father issues, and a strong determination to pursue a case. The crime thriller unfolds in a world too familiar to be taken seriously, with these grown men grappling with daddy-issue drama. Most of its narrative elements are borrowed and the dialogue derived. Hence, staying invested in emotional stocks becomes a struggle.

The technical team dedicated their work to making us believe in the horrors of that world and its emotional landscape. Charles E. Elmore, the cinematographer, and his team are perhaps the only element where you feel a certain sense of darkness in the world they inhabit. 

However, the film never transcends its limitations to become a powerful drama. The dialogues are sometimes so ridiculously derivative that you end up laughing even at moments that are supposed to be sad. His dialogue is laced with seemingly inorganic slang words that lead to equally unintended laugh-out-loud moments. The nuance added to the language of the FBI agents also seems largely gimmicky. Overall, Out of Exile is a white-collar drama that tries to invest us in the emotional turmoil of its characters. Great crime thrillers often rely on two aspects – complex world-building and inspiring real emotion in its distorted world. If done well, you'll enjoy the thrill ride that comes with visiting an unfamiliar universe. Many directors from around the world have been able to offer their unique take. As a result, those characters seem believable and their dialogue believable.

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