Twins who like one another have some sort of psychic connection. Yet, in the case of Dustin Clingan’s Favorite Son, the twins who hate each other are deadly.
The twins in question are David and Trent Manners (Larry Altmayer). David wakes up from a nightmare where he was strangled by a presumed dead Trent. Awakened by his boyfriend, Lance (Niko El Santo Zavero), he provides David comfort and security, and in turn, David proposes to him.
Meanwhile, Trent is not dead and plans to take everything David has by hiring Kyle (Gregory Blair) to find David and pretend that he is Trent’s estranged son/David’s long-lost nephew. Once David puts Kyle in his will, Trent can go on to kill him for the inheritance.
“Once David puts Kyle in his will, Trent can go on to kill him for the inheritance.”
Here’s the good and bad with Favorite Son. The good is I love this story. In any thriller, keep us guessing. Don’t tip off her hand for even a second, produce twists and turns we don’t see coming, and make sense of the story. That’s precisely what Favorite Son does. The ending was a surprise and oh-so-satisfying.
The bad is the acting. I only bring this up so that it can be improved in the next film. The acting comes across as scripted—the recitation of lines. Especially in film, I’m looking for an authentic feel to dialogue as if you’re having a natural conversation.
Despite the nitpicks, Favorite Son wins because of a well-conceived and well-staged thriller. Good storytelling has a way of overcoming any weakness.
"…a well-conceived and well-staged thriller."
