Writer-director M.J. Alhabeeb Jr. keeps the tension high from start to finish in the thriller Plight. Joe Powell (Matthew J. Plumb) is seeking justice for his son J.J. (Max Miller) and his soon-to-be daughter-in-law Veronica (Grace Kohler). They were the victims of a hit-and-run that killed J.J. and so severely injured Veronica she miscarried. The vehicle’s owner, Patrick Gerrard (Ryan Manuel), is a wealthy man with many connections. According to him, he was carjacked, and the thief was driving when the couple was hit. Joe is not convinced and is pushing the police to dig deeper, as he believes that Gerrard was drunk and lost control of the car.
To prove he’s right, Joe begins following Gerrard and discovers he has a mistress named Mia (Lorraine May Isbell). She was in the car when the accident happened. He pieces together a version of events from that night and bullies Veronica’s sister, Valentina (Ada Pasternak), into helping him take down Patrick via vigilante justice. As Joe’s revenge is set in motion, the ultimate question comes down to who (if anyone) has the moral high ground and who will end up paying for their various sins.
“…bullies Veronica’s sister…into helping him take down Patrick via vigilante justice.”
It’s hard to root for Joe. He has no actual proof that Gerrard killed his son but plows through people with impunity to serve his vengeance. Joe is an angry man, full of rage and violence, and doesn’t particularly care who he hurts to achieve the frontier-style justice he believes he is owed. Gerrard is a weasel, a big-man-on-campus type who thinks his wealth will shield him from the consequences of his actions, including his affair with Mia. The women in the story primarily serve as receptacles for the aggression of men, with results ranging from ending up in hospital beds to being killed.
Plight is a busy film with a frenetic pace throughout. The solid performances from Plumb, Pasternak, and Manuel drive the melodrama intensely. The film is shot mainly in darkness, giving it an authentic noir vibe. The use of piano to telegraph the intent of each scene is overcooked, lending to an exaggerated soap opera atmosphere. But there is a real economy of exposition here. Familiar tropes serve as a shorthand to dispense with wordy explanations. To wit: cops are corrupt and ineffective. Rich People suck. Men suck. Revenge at any cost is moral and just. Past trauma justifies current violence.
Alhabeeb crowd-funded Plight, at least partially, and made good use of the budget he had. The money is all up on the screen. He’s been working in the film world for quite some time and knows how to get around with a micro-budget.
For more information, visit the official Plight page.
"…keeps the tension high from start to finish..."
