U want me 2 kill him? (Andrew Douglas, 2013): UK

Reviewed by Robin Kadir at Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2014

First off I have to say that this was the best film I saw during the film festival. Based on a true story. It’s about a 16-year old, British boy named Mark (Jamie Blackley) who meets a girl online, he pretty soon falls in love with her. But then one day, without even having got a chance to meet her, she dies. Police believes it was suicide but Mark refuses to believe that and gets determined to get vengeance for her.

You know the feeling you get for a few minutes after watching a really good but heavy film, you just have to, sort of, sit still for a moment and let the film sink in all the way, often from blockbusters. It was a long time ago I got this feeling, but this movie made it for me. It’s a spot on production from the director Andrew Douglas who made a movie out of this true story. We got to see everything from Marks point of view which I think were a genius move, it brought a new level to the film and you got to experience how it was, and even though Mark seemed to go a little crazy sometimes, you didn’t think it was weird because you saw things the way he did, and that way Andrew Douglas made us think the way Mark did, and think it was somewhere logical to act the way he did.

The way the film is shot is great, it’s a mixture between moving camera after person, and person passing by the camera. For example when we see Mark ride his BMX, the shot is mixed which makes it look like his going really fast and bring the dimension of pace throughout the movie, so you never got bored, not even for a while. Also Jamie Blackley did an excellent acting performance, you actually felt the feelings he felt during the movie, you could easily sympathize with him.

This was an amazing film, makes me want to see more films that Andrew Douglas directs, because if I would direct this, I think I would have done the exact same thing and that is what’s making me curious of Mr Douglas. I definitely recommend everyone to see this movie, you will not regret it and hopefully you will too have that deep-breathing-sitting-still moment that I got after the film, a official confirmation that you liked the movie.