runamokprods Full of flaws, but also exhilarating and unique. This small thriller/surreal comedy/drama was made waaaay off the grid, in Kansas by a truly independent film maker named Steve Balderson, who has been making Kansas based films, with a largely local cast and crew for a decade now. Shot in a mixture of stark black and white and lurid color – both looks are beautiful – this film manages to transcend economies of budget, an uneven set of performances and even some dicey choices in story telling Because for every cringe- worthy moment, there are a number of moments that are striking, thought provoking, beautiful, poetic, disturbing, often all at once. The score is pretty terrific as well. This retells a true story of a small town murder, but in a style I can only describe as what we might have seen had David Lynch made 'Fargo'. It's a pity some of the actors aren't up to the challenges of the project, because I think some moments come off as campier than they're meant to. But as much as I could complain about specifics, there's the excitement of a unique, talented voice here, telling a story in a different, mostly very compelling way.But you have to approach it in an open, even 'forgiving' mood.

lynchaxxonn One review said "all style and no substance". I used the same words with my friend only 3 minutes before. Not a coincidence. This is the biggest rip-off(or pointless homage at least) of Blue Velvet(and Twin Peaks) ever created. Which really enrages me cause David Lynch is my favorite director. The acting in this is atrocious. Some of you will be allured by the indie style it's shot or the quirky/dark subject matter and I suppose you'd like David Lynch too. Or perhaps you just dig the shock value of this type of movie. I hope you see one of his films and see how it takes more than just bizarre imagery to make something brilliant. What he does is brilliant and distinctly him. Yea i know maybe i didn't do my research, it could be an homage which is a sweet gesture. Regardless, this movie is clowshoes drizzled in failsauce.

txaggieboy This movie was a complete waste of time. Absolutely nothing is right about it. Awful script, awful acting, awful costumes, awful directing. Where do I begin? The script is completely incoherent filled with characters never explained or connected to the central story in any way. You do, however, get tons of ridiculously bad dialog and a movie filled with every cliché you could ever think of. If this is supposed to be set in the 1950s, there is absolutely no excuse for many of the things in this movie. Nike tennis shoes abound, people in modern day dress, modern hair styles on the ladies, very modern decorations (table lamps, etc). Completely lazy and incompetent direction. How do this not get nominated for any Razzies? Forget the little brother's physical abuse. The worst abuse will be you sitting through this piece of garbage.

Ryan Miller This film had an enormous amount of potential as a drama/murder mystery, but the two ends do not meet. Firecraker would easily leave any viewer asking what the point of this film was, and I don't blame them. It asks far too much of the viewer for interpretation, and quite frankly it doesn't seem intentional.I really enjoyed some parts of Firecracker. There were moments that were truly gripping and sent chills down my spine. But most of that was counteracted by incredibly poor acting. Don't get me wrong - Jak Kendall was brilliant, and Mike Patton was as vibrant as his music (perhaps too much). Yet others like Karen Black and Amy Kelly are almost laughable at points. I can only blame it on amateurish direction, and it's a shame, because these people can do better.Despite that, there's a lot to appreciate here. The editing, cinematography and colors of the film are brilliant and beautiful. Yet the story, while gripping at its core, is presented in such a hollow form that the whole package really falls flat.I would regretfully not recommend this film to anyone. It is at more time painful to watch than captivating. And that is truly unfortunate. This story should definitely be re-visited with better direction. The art of this film and good storytelling could co-exist to create something truly brilliant - but this is not it.And upon further review, I think it is worth noting that almost all 10/10 reviews on this film are from accounts that were made solely to put a positive face on this movie and were probably done by those involved with the movie. If you don't believe me, click on their accounts and you will see that this is the only film they've reviewed.