Surveillance (2008 film)

Last updated
Surveillance
Surveillance (2008 film).jpg
Directed by Jennifer Lynch
Written byKent Harper
Jennifer Lynch
Produced byMarco Mehlitz
Gary Hamilton
Harrison Kordestani
Starring
Cinematography Peter Wunstorf
Edited byDaryl K. Davis
Music byTodd Bryanton
Distributed byArclight Films, Wild Bunch Distribution
Release date
  • May 21, 2008 (2008-05-21)(Cannes Film Festival)
Running time
97 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.1 million [2]

Surveillance is a 2008 American independent thriller film co-written and directed by Jennifer Lynch and starring Julia Ormond, Bill Pullman, Michael Ironside and French Stewart. The story is set in the Nebraska plains of United States. The film premiered "out of competition" and appeared in a midnight slot at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Surveillance is Lynch's second feature film, following a fifteen-year break after Boxing Helena . [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

A series of violent deaths and the disappearance of a young woman bring FBI agents Hallaway (Bill Pullman) and Anderson (Julia Ormond) to a town in rural Nebraska. They meet the three survivors of a mysterious bloodbath; the young Stephanie (Ryan Simpkins), the cocaine-addicted Bobbi (Pell James), and the foul-mouthed police officer Bennett (Kent Harper). Hallaway watches the trio's respective interviews with Captain Billings (Michael Ironside) and officers Wright (Charlie Newmark) and Degrasso (Gill Gayle), where they tell the story of what brought them there:

In a warped way to pass the day, Officer Bennett and his partner Officer Conrad (French Stewart) watch (both hidden from view) and shoot the tires of cars driving along an isolated county road, then convince the drivers their tires blew out as a result of their speeding, and threaten them afterwards. They do so to one young couple then let them go.

A bit later, Stephanie, traveling on vacation with her family, sees a car (the couple's) with blood on it and tells it to her oblivious mother (Cheri Oteri). Bobbi, using drugs with her boyfriend Johnny (Mac Miller), is in a car right behind them. At a rest stop, both girls learn a pair of killers are responsible for a string of murders and likely the woman's disappearance. Stephanie's stepfather Steven (Hugh Dillon) supposedly speeds and their car's tire is shot by Bennett. Bobbi and Johnny are about to offer help, but the officers arrive and harass all of them, making Steven put Conrad's gun in his mouth and making Bobbi swear at Johnny. After all of this, Stephanie tells the officers about the bloody car she saw earlier. The officers leave to investigate.

Steven gets to work changing the tire, and Bobbi gets out to talk with Stephanie's family, who all feel violated by the officers. Simultaneously, after passing a white van, Bennett and Conrad find the car Stephanie described farther down the road, with evidence of an altercation, and race back towards the van. The van plows into the back of Johnny's car, killing him and Steven. A dead man is at the wheel, and a live person, covered in a black bag, is sitting in the passenger seat of the van, whom Bobbi tries to save. Bennett and Conrad arrive back at the scene. In the chaos, Conrad is killed and persons emerge from the van wearing rubber masks, kill Stephanie's mother and brother, and knock Bennett unconscious. Stephanie and Bobbi take refuge in the police car.

Presently, Hallaway and Anderson are trying to figure things out when bodies are discovered in a motel nearby. Anderson takes Wright and Degrasso to the scene, leaving Hallaway with Bobbi, Billings, Bennett, and Stephanie, who whispers something in Hallaway's ear after Anderson leaves. Hallaway talks with the three others, while Degrasso discovers nude pictures of Anderson and Hallaway. Leafing through them in Anderson's backseat, Degrasso is shocked to see the agents with the body of a dead woman. Before he can react, Anderson shoots both Degrasso and Wright dead, then dumps both bodies by the roadside. Hallaway, meanwhile, reveals that he was at the bloodbath earlier, and reveals he and Anderson are in fact the killers. Hallaway kills Billings, and when Anderson returns Bennett and Bobbi are also murdered.

A phone message left at the police station reveals the bodies at the motel are those of the missing woman and two real FBI Agents. As Anderson and Hallaway drive away they see Stephanie standing out in a field by the side of the road. Hallaway relates to Anderson that the little girl was on to them all along so he let her go free. Anderson tells Hallaway, "I think that's the most romantic thing in the whole world." Stephanie watches their vehicle disappear into the distance.

Cast

Production

Different film stocks were processed in different ways to provide the varying states of minds and perspectives that belong to the various characters in the film: the two local police officers' POV is sepia toned, to reflect their power, while over-saturation was employed for the illicit drug-using couple, and a "super sharp and super clear" depiction for the young girl. [5]

Reception

Critical response

Overall, reviews of the film were mixed. The aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 55% approval rating with an average score of 5.19/10, based on 76 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "This dark psycho-thriller from Jennifer Lynch, is violent, sharp and baffling, but not to everyone's taste." [6] On Metacritic the film achieved a score of 31 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally unfavorable reviews". [7]

Accolades

In October 2008, the film took the top prize at the Festival de Cine de Sitges. [8]

The film made history at the New York City Horror Film Festival when Jennifer Lynch became the first female to win the Best Director award and Ryan Simpkins became the first child to win the Best Actress award at the fest. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Mulholland Drive</i> (film) 2001 film by David Lynch

Mulholland Drive is a 2001 surrealist mystery film written and directed by David Lynch, and starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Ann Miller, and Robert Forster. It tells the story of an aspiring actress named Betty Elms (Watts), newly arrived in Los Angeles, who meets and befriends an amnesiac woman (Harring) recovering from a car accident. The story follows several other vignettes and characters, including a Hollywood film director (Theroux).

<i>Lost Highway</i> (film) 1997 film by David Lynch

Lost Highway is a 1997 surrealist neo noir film directed by David Lynch and co-written by Lynch and Barry Gifford. It stars Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, and Robert Blake in his final film role. The film follows a musician (Pullman) who begins receiving mysterious VHS tapes of him and his wife (Arquette) in their home. He is suddenly convicted of murder, after which he inexplicably disappears and is replaced by a young mechanic (Getty) leading a different life.

<i>Adventures in Babysitting</i> 1987 film by Chris Columbus

Adventures in Babysitting is a 1987 American teen comedy film written by David Simkins and directed by Chris Columbus in his directorial debut. It stars Elisabeth Shue, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, and Maia Brewton, and features cameos by blues singer/guitarist Albert Collins and singer-songwriter Southside Johnny Lyon.

<i>Short Circuit</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by John Badham

Short Circuit is a 1986 American science fiction comedy film directed by John Badham and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock. The film centers on an experimental military robot that is struck by lightning and gains a human-like intelligence, prompting it to escape its facility to learn more about the world. It stars Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton, and G. W. Bailey, with Tim Blaney providing the voice of the robot Number 5.

Jennifer Chambers Lynch is an American filmmaker. The daughter of filmmaker David Lynch, she made her directorial debut with the film Boxing Helena in 1993. Following a troubled production, the film was a critical and commercial failure, with Lynch receiving a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director. The negative reception to her feature debut and controversy surrounding its release led to Lynch taking a 15-year hiatus from filmmaking.

"Long Term Parking" is the 64th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the 12th of the show's fifth season. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Tim Van Patten, it originally aired on May 23, 2004.

<i>The Master</i> (1992 film) 1989 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Tsui Hark

The Master is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts film written, produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Jet Li, Yuen Wah, Crystal Kwok and Jerry Trimble. The project was filmed in 1989, but it was not released until 1992 when the success of Once Upon a Time in China made Li a major action star.

<i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> (1985 TV series) American anthology television series (1985–1989)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents, sometimes called The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents, is an American television anthology series that originally aired on NBC for one season from September 29, 1985 to May 4, 1986, and on the USA Network for three more seasons, from January 24, 1987, to July 22, 1989, with a total of four seasons consisting of 76 episodes. The series is an updated version of the 1955 eponymous series.

<i>Headless Horseman</i> (film) 2007 American TV series or program

Headless Horseman is a 2007 American horror television film that aired on the Sci Fi Channel on October 27, 2007, based on the legend of the Headless Horseman. It stars Richard Moll and Billy Aaron Brown and is directed by Anthony C. Ferrante.

<i>The Mole</i> (American TV series) season 1 Season of television series

The first season of The Mole aired on ABC in 2001. It was produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment and was released to DVD by Eagle Rock Entertainment on March 8, 2005. The season was hosted by news reporter Anderson Cooper and featured American contestants; it was filmed mainly in France, Monaco, and Spain. Adapting the format of Belgian reality game show De Mol, many challenges and locations were inspired by their counterparts from De Mol's second season in Spain.

<i>Love Happens</i> (2009 film) 2009 film by Brandon Camp

Love Happens is a 2009 American romantic drama film written by Mike Thompson and Brandon Camp, directed by Camp, and starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. The story follows a therapist and self-help author being enamored by a florist. It was released on September 18, 2009 by Universal Pictures. Love Happens garnered negative reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Cannes Film Festival</span> 61st edition of Cannes film festival

The 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 14 to 25 May 2008. The President of the Official Jury was American actor and director Sean Penn. Twenty two films from fourteen countries were selected to compete for the Palme d'Or. The awards were announced on 24 May, French film The Class, directed by Laurent Cantet, was awarded the Palme.

<i>Choo-Choo!</i> 1932 film

Choo-Choo! is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 114th Our Gang short to be released. It is a remake of the 1923 Our Gang film A Pleasant Journey.

<i>Hisss</i> 2010 Bollywood snake horror film

Hisss is a 2010 adventure-horror film, directed by Jennifer Lynch. Indian film actress Mallika Sherawat plays the lead role.

<i>King of the Hill</i> (2007 film) 2007 Spanish film

King of the Hill is a 2007 Spanish survival thriller film directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego from a screenplay by Javier Gullón and López-Gallego. It stars Leonardo Sbaraglia and María Valverde.

<i>Dogtooth</i> (film) 2009 film by Yorgos Lanthimos

Dogtooth is a 2009 Greek psychological drama film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Written by Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou, the film is about a husband and wife who keep their children ignorant of the world outside their property well into adulthood.

<i>Sirens</i> (1999 film) American TV series or program

Sirens is a 1999 crime-drama TV film starring Dana Delany. It premiered on September 26, 1999, on Showtime Networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morelia International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The Morelia International Film Festival was founded in 2003 in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, México. It is an annual event that takes place during the second week of October.

Kids of the Round Table is a 1995 Canadian/American fantasy film written and directed by Robert Tinnell. Malcolm McDowell, Michael Ironside and newcomer Johnny Morina star in a modern-day adventure filled with medieval magic.

References

  1. "SURVEILLANCE". British Board of Film Classification . Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  2. "Surveillance". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  3. Martin, Peter (2008-05-15). "Cannes Deal: Magnet Picks Up Jennifer Lynch's 'Surveillance'". Cinematical . Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  4. "Surveillance film details". Cannes Film Festival . Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  5. Levy, Emanuel. "Interview: Surveillance with Jennifer Lynch". emanuellevy.com . Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  6. "Surveillance (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  7. "Surveillance". Metacritic . CBS . Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  8. Todd Brown (October 12, 2008). "Complete List of Sitges Winners Announced!". Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2008.
  9. Michael Gingold (November 17, 2008). "BAD BIOLOGY leads NYC Horror Fest award winners". Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2008.