Point Defiance

The heart of the film and the source of this thriller’s tension is the interplay between the two brothers, played beautifully by Derek Phillips and Josh Crotty. First, they look and act like brothers. Their characters appear to be opposites as Peter is the more level-headed one finding sobriety in life and Alex as your typical aggressive military type. As the film plays out, we realize that as different as the brothers are, they are two peas from the same pod.

Adding to the thrills is also the mystery of the missing woman and now the vanished escort…most likely the same person. Peter is now caught between protecting his family, atoning for his past, and doing what is right. Even though the ankle bracelet is an alibi, it somehow makes him a suspect for something bigger.

“All the action takes place within the perimeter of the farm, the cast is a tight six actors, and the best tension comes from the actors.”

Point Defiance is a fantastic film in the indie thriller category. It provides the adrenaline rush required in this genre without the need of a car chase or elaborate stunts. All the action takes place within the perimeter of the farm, the cast is a tight six actors, and the best tension comes from the actors. Like a roller coaster, the end is a series of sharp twists and turns to keep you head spinning once you arrive at the end.

I’ll be honest, once a critical piece of information is revealed, I was sort of disappointed with the final resolution. I’ll chalk that up to seeing more than my fair share of thrillers as a film critic. Overall, I liked the film. I just wish the ending was a lot more complicated than it turned out to be. But the film’s finale still works. The reality is a thriller’s thrills are found in the journey getting there and boy, do we get there.