Resolution (2013) #490

For me, "Resolution" is a difficult movie to review; it encapsulates so many impressions that is hard to properly describe. It's quirky, it's thought provoking, it's confusing, and its creative. "Resolution" is also very enjoyable, rewatchable, and is a fantastic first film for Aaron Morehead and Justin Benson. The duo has garnered a respectable reputation in the independent movie scene and are held in high regard in the cosmic horror sub-genre. "Resolution" establishes a foundation that would be seen in some of their future movies.

Michael receives an email containing a series of video clips of his childhood friend Chris getting high and firing a gun erratically at a remote and desolate cabin. Michael decides to go and help his friend by forcing him to become sober or agree to rehab by tasing him and handcuffing him to a pipe, taking Chris by surprise. Chris pleads for freedom and tells Michael that he will not go to rehab, that the only time he's happy is when he's high. 

The next day Micah and Billy, two acquaintances of Chris and Michael, come to the cabin demanding the return of the drugs that Chris is holding for them. Michael chases them off, but Chris warns him that the two drug dealers have become unpredictable and dangerous since high school. Billy and Micah return but are quickly chased off by Charles and two others; Charles then tells Michael that they are on reservation land and need to leave. Michael bribes Charles to let the two stay for five more days and then he promises they will be gone.

If this wasn't enough to derail Michael's good intentions, bizarre forms of media and media equipment begin to appear. It begins when Chris tells Michael that he never sent him a video in the first place. Events begin to spiral when the two friends start seeing video clips and audio recordings of their deaths, caused by both Billy and Micah as well as Charles and his friends. With little choice left, Michael and Chris try to stay a few steps ahead of the future events to stay alive and attempt to figure out how to appease whatever force is providing these clues.

The dialogue between Michael and Chris is cheeky, adorable, and feels natural. It's one of the highlights of the film and showcases Justin Benson's ability to write realistic dialogue. Some may argue that Vinny Curran's performance as Chris going through withdrawal is unrealistic, but I appreciate his work here. The movie is not about the horror of drug dependance but about being entertainment pawns for an unseen force.