Bushwick (2017)

 

Lucy and her boyfriend Jose are exiting a subway in Bushwick, Brooklyn, when they see a man on fire running down into the station. Jose runs out onto the street to see what is going on, but is immediately killed by an explosion. 

Lucy seeks help but is chased by two aggressive men. They corner her in a basement apartment, but before they can follow through on their threats they are killed by Stupe, the former military medic who lives there.

Lucy and Stupe set out across Bushwick, trying to find a place of safety, but fighting continues to wrack the nieghbourhood.  Teams of men in black uniforms prowl the streets, killing or capturing anyone they meet, while residents are slowly starting to fight back with whatever weapons they have at hand.

Who are these attackers and what do they want?  Lucy and Stupe may not live to find out.

Bushwick is a grimy, low key, low budget action thriller with a surprisingly high-powered cast.  Brittany Snow and Dave Bautista play Lucy and Stupe respectively.  Both deliver good performances as unlikely allies in a thoroughly unexpected and out of control situation.  I liked that their characters they were depicted as much more frail than typical action movie protagonists: their injuries hurt and hinder them much more obviously than is usual in cinema. 

I also appreciated that the casting team seem to have made a conscious effort to depict the diverse ethnic make-up of the real Brooklyn.

The film's low budget does sometimes hinder it.  Some of the action scenes in particular are a little unconvincing at times, and not all the performances are up to the same standards as the leads. 

The plot is perhaps the biggest issue with the film, though.  When it finally gave the story behind the fighting, it did not feel convincing, given the real world political developments that have happened since its release.  I certainly suspect it was written with the expectation of a different result to the 2016 Presidential election in the US.

I also think the film ultimately misfires a bit with its conclusion.  Points for trying something genuinely unexpected, I guess, but it didn't work for me.