Desolation (2018) Movie Review

Director David Moscow brings to life the film Desolation, written by Craig Walendziak and Matthew McCarty, January 26th, when it will be released in New York and LA theaters. A national release will follow, but the date has yet to be determined. Either way, mark your calendar because you are going to want to see this thriller.

Other than what is offered in the synopsis, is about all that I want to say about the Desolation’s story. I will say that the official synopsis that we revealed in an earlier post is not entirely accurate, and perhaps things got changed in post, but below you will find my edited version of that synopsis:

Desolation Synopsis:

Katie (Dominik García-Lorido, City Island) works in a small-town hotel when she meets heartthrob actor Jay (Brock Kelly, Pitch Perfect). Jay charms Katie, brings her to L.A., where their relationship begins to blossom. When Jay gets a movie role and has to leave town, Katie awaits his return. That’s when everything begins to unravel. Katie is robbed, her keys and wallet taken. When she reports it, the police question and then attack her. Terrified, with no money, and stuck in L.A., she keeps calling her friend back home, but just gets a “wrong number.” Frantically, she calls Jay looking for answers. When Katie’s hometown newspaper is delivered to her in L.A., it includes her obituary, and she realizes with certainty that there is some greater evil at play.

That’s the revised synopsis. Now, I will say this, Katie has greater emotional and psychological issues, which isn’t a hidden fact in the story, and her fragility is used quite well in the film. Dominik plays Katie masterfully, expressing the character’s vulnerability and self-realization convincingly and with conviction. Katie is a multidimensional character, and we can feel that because of Dominik’s performance.

Of course, Dominik has Brock to play off of. His portrayal of Jay is equally convincing and sincere. The chemistry between these characters is… awkward, which is exactly how it should be played when the characters involved have engaged themselves in a whirlwind romance that lands them living together in a matter of days.

What I really like about this film, and I suppose how the budget was spent, is that the resources were used to attain quality actors who actually give a shit about their roles. The budget wasn’t spend on a flashy centerpiece, nor was it spent on failing special effects. As a result we have a highly watchable film with an engaging story to tell. It also gives us developed characters and camera tricks that suggest ideas to the audience, who then imagine what has taken place off screen. Very effective.

So effective, in fact, that Desolation ends up being a very Hitchcockian film — and I don’t use that term lightly. It’s dark, it’s ambient, it’s isolating, it’s immersive, and it’s terrifying. Also, the film is riddled with breadcrumb clues that, once you realize they’re there, will keep your eyes trained and locked for the next.

The Verdict:

Unless you want to go home alone, Desolation isn’t first-date material. It is absolutely a modern day Hitchcock-style thriller that tackles the very real and very horrific world of the largely mysterious dark web. This stuff will stick with you and might have you considering living off the grid in the Alaskan wilderness. It’s a gripping jolt of how horrific reality might be… because most of us are living in a fairytale reality that’s fed to us by the powers that be, the powers that want to keep us in the dark.

Rock Hard \m/