Kill Switch: Video Game Style doesn’t work

Courtesy of Saban Films

Kill Switch, not to be confused with the 2008 film of the same name, is another example of why video game-style films don’t make the best of movies–because they simply aren’t good.

Directed by Tim Smit from a screenplay written by Omid Nooshin and C. Kindinger, Kill Switch stars Dan Stevens, Bérénice Marlohe, Tygo Gernandt, and Charity Wakefield.

In the feature debut from Smit, we follow Will Porter in his battle to save Earth after an experiment goes terribly wrong.  What was supposed to lead to unlimited energy ends up nearly getting two parallel universes killed.  Porter finds himself in this parallel universe with one mission and one mission only: to get the Redivider box to the tower.  In doing so, it will serve as the kill switch and restore things back to normal.  It’s not easy for Will to reach the tower as he’s being chased by both drones on soldiers.

Even though Stevens gets first billing, he doesn’t really appear on screen in the Echo universe aside from seeing his hands and maybe legs.  In our universe, there’s a solid amount of Stevens on screen but since its mostly set in the Echo, you hear his voice more than you’ll see him on screen.

Switching between Earth and the Echo, as the other universe is called, makes it hard to follow the film.  Given Smit’s background in VFX, it’s no surprise to see that Kill Switch is heavy on visual effects more so than story.  If you want to watch a movie in which it feels like somebody else is playing a video game for a good 90 minutes, this film is for you.  Otherwise, I’d pass on this one because there’s better fare out there.

Saban Films will open the movie in select theaters and on VOD platforms on June 16, 2017.  In the Chicago area, Kill Switch will play at AMC Woodridge.  It’s been made available through Ultra HD platforms since May 19, 2017, including Amazon.

 

 

 

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.

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