After a homeless drug addict is kicked out of his short-term living situation, he desperately needs somewhere new to stay. Eviction follows the protagonist (Bobby Bromley) on his journey after being thrown out onto the streets. But a friend of his makes him a proposition that he cannot refuse: earn some cash by helping with his small-scale human trafficking business. Once immersed in this world of terror, the main character struggles with his inner self and must determine how to proceed with his new duties.
Audiences are immediately thrown into the story of the nameless central figure. There is no backstory to speak of, which means that there’s nothing allowing us to feel for him, aside from losing his temporary home. This seems like enough to feel for the character, but, like any short film, things move quickly, and audiences see what kind of person he is, running rampant through the streets, taking advantage of others, and committing crimes. Any empathy audiences felt for him early on goes out the door, and all that is left is a severe disconnect between viewer and character.
What furthers that disconnect is the fact that Bromley appears emotionless throughout the entirety of Eviction. He never cracks a smile, nor shows a glimpse of euphoria during his drug use, and his ability to look even remotely upset regarding his current situation is non-existent. Bromley is simply a vessel by which the story is told and nothing more. I struggle to appreciate anything about him, meaning the character, and therefore the movie fails to engage on any level.
“…earn some cash by helping with his small-scale human trafficking business.”
Even after watching it more than once, I am still not entirely sure I understand the film’s point. The title would make viewers believe that the story follows a homeless man or woman after being evicted, but that is only a small part of the story. The film is too unfocused, with drug use, murder, homelessness, eviction, theft, human trafficking, and physical abuse, all playing a role in a brief period of time. Exactly what viewers are supposed to get from writer-director Dave Hough’s film remains unclear to the bitter end.
Eviction feels like a failed attempt to incorporate all of the things wrong with the world into a concise drama. I appreciate the fact that themes the film addresses are directly lifted from the world we live in, but the atrocious acting, failed camera angles, and choppy narrative make it difficult to respect the time and energy put into the film.
With the story being so fractured and Hough seemingly unsure what his film is supposed to be about, audiences are reluctant to appreciate any of the movie’s merits. They struggle to understand the meaning behind Eviction, as the story is difficult to understand and even harder to comprehend. Eviction seems to fail to effectively deliver whatever message Hough is trying to get across. Nearly everything misses the mark, and the finished product fails to entertain anyone.
"…the story is difficult to understand and even harder to comprehend."
