Don’t Move marks directors Brian Netto and Adam Schindler first foray into studio feature directing. They’ve both worked on short films and true low-budget indie films prior to this. The writing team of T.J. Cimfel and David White is similarly inexperienced. And that inexperience shows.
But that’s not a dig at anyone here. It’s simply inexperience. There’s enough proof here to feel confident they’ll improve with each new project. The creative team clearly has a feel for the thriller/horror genre, and there are some interesting ideas and themes at play. But a few cool shots and a couple tense scenes can only take a movie so far. With a thin script and even thinner characters, the themes laid out at the beginning never fully come together.
Don’t Move plot
Still reeling from the tragic death of her young son, Iris (Kelsey Asbille) seeks solace on a solo journey into a secluded forest. While there, she meets Andrew, (Finn Wittrock). The two talk, seemingly helping Iris. However, as they return down the trail, Andrew reveals his true intentions. He’s a serial killer and injects Iris with a paralytic agent. Racing against time before her body shuts down, Iris must fight with everything she has left to save her life.
Don’t Move review
The basic premise for Don’t Move is a great hook. Iris knowing she has 20 minutes before she becomes paralyzed gives the movie real, immediate stakes. There’s a specific timeline, a constant countdown, and her rapidly decreasing ability to run or fight or otherwise defend herself.
However, that good start is lost almost immediately. Iris spends a good chunk of the movie incapacitated. This is ostensibly her movie, but so much of what happens is just happening to her or around her. She barely actually does anything herself. The movie presents its plot as her fighting for her life, but she mostly has to lie there and hope for help to come around, be it coming across more people in the forest or something simply going wrong with Andrew’s plan. Iris is effectively an inactive participant in her own story.
And that’s…kind of it? With two main characters – one of them paralyzed for much of the movie – and a couple supporting characters, there is only so much that can even happen. To Netto and Schindler’s credit, they showed restraint keeping the runtime to 90 minutes. It would have been all too easy to pad it with unnecessary exposition or extensive flashbacks for Iris and Andrew. But as the saying goes, sometimes less is more.
And that’s not the only positive, as the opening scene is quite strong. It’s the only time both Asbille and Wittrock are given the chance to truly act with each other. It’s a poignant discussion on grief and trauma and how to heal, or if you can heal from certain traumas. It could have used more moments like this.
Schindler, Nitto, and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein make some good use of the forest setting, offering up a smattering of engaging visuals. They’re nice to look at, but it doesn’t amount to much more than window dressing. Some of the scenes between Iris and Andrew provide much needed tension, but they’re so one-sided that they don’t fully hit.
Is Don’t Move worth watching?
In a word, no. The story could have used some adjustments, allowing Iris to become a more active player in the movie’s events. You can see that Netto and Schindler have the talent to make better movies down the road, and have an affinity for this type of story. It’s not enough to earn a recommendation, but if you’re looking for a reason to watch, that would be the one.
Don’t Move is now available to stream on Netflix.
Don’t Move Review – Netflix Thriller is Not so Thrilling
Don’t Move has a good basic premise and a strong opening scene. But it loses that momentum almost instantly, resulting in an occasionally tense, often flat thriller.
