Acceleration

Based on the poster for Acceleration, one would be forgiven for presuming the film is akin to the street racing thrillers that were inescapable after The Fast And The Furious became a bonafide smash. Most of those titles were god-awful, such as with the justifiably maligned Redline. Happily, co-directors Daniel Zirilli and Michael Merino (who wrote the screenplay) don’t go that route. This is a thriller, but one that’s more Cellular than Biker Boyz.

Rhona (Natalie Burn) is a single mom trapped in the criminal underworld of Los Angeles. When her escape plan fails, criminal mastermind Vladik (Dolph Lundgren) seizes the opportunity to use Rhona to take down his enemies. He forces her to do his dirty work by kidnapping her son. But as the bodies pile up, the sinister overlord of crime, Kane (Sean Patrick Flanery), notices and realizes he’s the primary target. So he sends his goons to pursue and take out the reluctant killer. Can Rhona survive the night to be reunited with her son?

Acceleration has strong characterization, but only for Rhona. The reason Vladik uses her is teased out throughout, as her desire to see her son is never in question. Considering that so much of the film is centered around that desire, it is significant that she’s such an interesting and complex person. A reveal involving Vladik near the end comes too late to work fully, but it is an admirable attempt.

“…seizes the opportunity to use Rhona to take down his enemies.”

But that should not imply the villains are not worth their screen time. In fact, action thrillers are at their best, with despicable villains and likable protagonists. Kane is delightfully evil, and his henchpeople are also just entertaining to watch in how dedicated to killing they are. To that end, most of the action sequences are excellently shot by director of photography Jan-Michael Losada. The strong lighting adds to the noir-tinged atmosphere while the camera movements follow the action with ease.

Considering Acceleration has an all-star cast, it stands to reason the acting is a cut above other indie action films. And it is. Lundgren always commands the screen and brings a lot of weight to his part. Flannery is relishing the chance to let loose and be over-the-top evil. He’s always been fun, but he’s rarely been this crazy on screen. But this is Burn’s show, and the ballerina/martial artist proves to be a true star. She’s commanding, easy to root for, and handles every action beat brilliantly.

Admittedly, though, the film does show its limited budget in places. The muzzle flashes are obviously digitally inserted, which is occasionally distracting. Also, every once in a while, there’s an odd edit, making this or that moment hard to follow and unintentionally confusing (how far behind the lady assassin going up the stairs was Rhona exactly?).

Acceleration stands out from the crowd thanks to exciting hand-to-hand combat and gunplay. The stacked cast delivers, especially Burn, who just has that “it” factor. The directors maintain an intense atmosphere by employing stylized lighting and fluid cinematography.