Ultimately, I felt like this film’s biggest problem was an overall lack of clarity. There were a few really great moments in the film, but those moments weren’t connected by a narrative that was coherent or cohesive. At its most basic level, the film is a survival thriller, and it works at that. I’d say the comparison to Home Alone is a little bit much, as the portion of the film similar to that only takes up about ten minutes of the film’s runtime. Instead, I’d say the film shares more in common with typical home invasion horror films. The film does a decent job of hitting all of the beats of the standard home invasion film and raises the stakes adequately by the third act. That being said, there are some elements in the film that just made it feel messy. For example, there are some subplots and parts of the backstory are never fully explained in a way that is confusing and unsatisfying. Additionally, I’d say that the film suffers from a lack of strong character development. That being said, the film’s sporadic strong moments keep it entertaining and watchable.
Munro Chambers as Dixon in the horror/thriller “KNUCKLEBALL,” a Freestyle Digital Media release. Photo courtesy of Freestyle Digital Media.
Overall, I didn’t think that Knuckleball was a bad film, but it also could have been a lot stronger. The bones of a great film are there, but it just didn’t fully deliver. Had the film been a little clearer and more coherent, I think it had the potential to be really strong.
Knuckleball hits select theaters and VOD October 5.
Knuckleball
Big Tuna’s Rating: C-
How Did I Watch It?: A press screener.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: Probably not.
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