The Dead Center

A missed opportunity, not that far away from being a great film. 'The Dead Center' is told, at least for the majority, through the eyes of psychiatrist Daniel Forrester, who comes across and attempts to treat an unusual John Doe. That premise works nicely across the first and second acts, as the mystery begins to unfold. That's about it, though. There isn't really an ending per se. It builds and builds well, before wrapping things up rather abruptly. We never find out what or why, despite being shown that what is happening is occurring on a much, much larger scale. The aforementioned Daniel is played by Shane Carruth, who produces an effective performance. Jeremy Childs is good, as is Bill Feehely; though his character is completely unfulfilled, much more could've been done with Edward. I very much was enjoying this, until it all falls flat during the third act. Disappointing.

The story was fairly generic, but otherwise this movie felt like a masterclass in indie filmmaking. The strongest actors were cast in the most visible roles and the less capable actors at least all had interesting faces. I wouldn't watch it again, but I'm glad to have seen it.