In Failure!, businessman James is in significant financial difficulty. He owes payments to the bank, which he must make within the next four days, and if he doesn’t find some cash rather quickly he will lose his factory.
While James agonises over what to do, he is approached by one of his employees, Michael, who is very upset and angry. Michael has heard a rumour the factory is set to close due to James’ financial issues, and he feels this wouldn’t be happening if James was better with his money.
After the pair get into a heated discussion, James lashes out and punches Michael, knocking him out cold. He then ties Michael up, so he doesn’t have to deal with him for a while, because he has an important appointment to attend.
Over the course of the next hour, pressure begins to mount as James worries about his money woes, about the man he’s holding captive, and the various visitors that drop by his office. But will James be able to overcome his problems, or will they get the better of him?
Written and directed by Alex Kahuam, Failure! is a low-budget psychological thriller starring Ted Raimi. The film made its world premiere at Frightfest on Monday 28th August, after debuting at the Cannes Film Festival back in May.
Filmed in one continuous take, and featuring a good performance from the ever-reliable Raimi, Failure! is an interesting, if somewhat flawed picture. The movie has many of the right components to create a decent thriller, and there is the general sense everything is moving in the right direction, unfortunately Failure! doesn’t quite hit its target.
The movie lacks the energy needed to keep audiences fully invested, and the story could do with a bit more punch. So, while it’s not bad, and it demonstrates potential, it does fall short.
Ted Raimi is the film’s strongest element, and he keeps things ticking along as best as he can when the pace begins to drop. Raimi is a versatile actor, who often doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, but here he demonstrates his ability to deliver different emotions, work with less experienced actors, and keep the film going.
Unlike the support cast who come and go in Failure!, Raimi appears throughout the film. He works his way around the camera, never misses his mark, and doesn’t lose a beat.
For a film like this to work, it takes a strong actor to lead it. Even if I’m not quite sold on the film itself, I believe casting Raimi was a good a decision.
Outside of Raimi, Failure! looks good, and there are enough characters in the picture to help the narrative shift focus when needed. None of these characters are particularly memorable or dynamic, but they ensure the story is able to change gears.
However, despite its best efforts in trying to balance characters, as well as story beats, Failure! just doesn’t stir up enough excitement. The film runs out of steam pretty quickly and never gets a second wind.
While it is certainly not a failure in itself, Failure! is not a triumph either. Parts of it work, but the majority just misses the mark, and the end result is a mixed bag.
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