The most suspenseful chamber piece in years.
The year in movies has certainly started out on a promising note for this critic thanks the plentiful dark gifts that exist within the newly-released The Standoff at Sparrow Creek. The indie thriller has definitely established quite the bar with it’s taut set up and gripping execution. In watching the film, my mind couldn’t help but come back to two specific classics, namely The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Murder on the Orient Express (original and remake, respectively.) Writer/director Henry Dunham’s debut is an incredibly stellar offering which plays on the kind of dark characterization reminiscent of the former and the whodunnit cleverness of the latter. While it pulls the best motifs from those and other sort of titles, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek manages it’s own flavor in both the way it moves and operates as a mystery with twists, thrills, a list of complex suspects and a fondness for exploring the blackness of the human soul. The end result is the creation of a unique level of suspense that’s so totally the movie’s own.
In The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, members of a militia group meet up at their remote storage warehouse when it’s suspected that one of them is responsible for the shooting up of a police funeral earlier that day. Almost immediately, former cop turned main member Gannon (James Badge Dale) begins a makeshift investigation, interrogating each of the members (including Chris Mulkey, Brian Geraghty and Gene Jones, among others) about their whereabouts that day, past histories and overall motivations for joining the group. One by one, each of the members uncovers layers of deception as tensions build to an unforeseeable climax.
It seems that a great many films tend to labeled as stagey when their penchant for characterization and dialogue becomes apparent, likening the movie to a stage play. Doubtless The Standoff at Sparrow Creek will be given this moniker by some for its tendency to favor its characters as much as it does. But such moves make the overall experience so completely worth it. As Gannon takes it upon himself to probe into the minds of his fellow members in an effort to establish alibies and find out which one among them is the guilty party, a flood of dark emotions are unleashed. Dunham takes the time to really explore the mind of someone who would join a militia group. The rage, adrenaline and overall fracturing of the human soul are all put on display as Gannon uncovers the hidden and sometimes monstrous layers that make up the men of his group. Scene after scene sees each member profess his disgust with the current world and a desire to react against by any means necessary, making the guilty party all the more harder to seek out. In intimate scenes featuring very deliberate lighting and staging, this darkness is thoroughly and hauntingly investigated to the point where the audience’s core cannot help but be shaken as they try and solve the mystery.
As much of a theater piece as The Standoff at Sparrow Creek has the ability to feel like at times, it thankfully never forgets to remain cinematic. Dunham’s film is edited so brilliantly and cuts at just the right times, registering looks and sounds with such precise rhythm, that it makes the suspense all the more palpable. At an hour and a half, the movie isn’t sprawling by any means. Yet, the way pacing and flow work side by side, striking the balance between one character unleashing a powerful rant and another revealing a deception, leads to a never ending thrill ride of the highest order possible. The absence of score is also a wise move. Recently, Darren Aronofksy revealed his decision not to include a score for his controversial 2017 release mother! stemmed from the fact that he didn’t want the music to give audiences cues on how to think or feel. Whether or not Dunham believes the same, the fact that no music exists within the world of The Standoff at Sparrow Creek means that not only can the not predict what is coming, but what is even happening right in front of them at any given moment. Because of this, every twist and turn throughout the film comes with the solemn guarantee that its audience will remain firmly on edge from start to finish.
In a rush to celebrate every aspect of this film (and yes, ALL of it deserves praise), the strength of the acting here shouldn’t once be underestimated. A list of recognizable character actors as long as your arm comes together in one of the strongest acting ensembles seen in quite some time. In the past, the screen always becomes more electrifying whenever Dale has entered it and in a rare leading turn here, the actor is given one of the biggest showcases of his career, turning Gannon into a man channelling his guilt into finding out who is responsible for what happened. Besides him, it’s Mulkey (another longtime dependable presence) who adds some quiet gravitas as Dale’s most formidable acting partner. Known by many as the one who managed to escape Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men, Gene Jones gives a quietly stirring turn, as does Brian Geraghty as perhaps the most tormented of the group.
There’s such a shock that accompanies the ending of The Standoff at Sparrow Creek with a revelation so strong and virtually unpredictable, that its effects should linger long after. Yet even stronger still is what the ideology behind the ending says about today. One of the most unique characteristics about the film is how it feels as if it could be placed in any decade, with very little actually there to indicate what period of time the film is set, apart from the (off-camera) event which sets things into motion. By the time the final revelation comes to light however, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek emerges as an incredibly timely reaction to one of the gravest elements of modern-day society that is utterly chilling. Until it does this, and for long after, it remains an exercise in suspense and an intricately woven character study of the highest order.
