Knuckleball (2018 film)
| Knuckleball | |
|---|---|
_Film_Poster.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Michael Peterson |
| Written by | Kevin Cockle Michael Peterson Jordan Scott (story editor) |
| Produced by | Julian Black Antelope Kurtis David Harder Lars Lehmann Michael Peterson Laurie Venning |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Jon Thomas |
| Edited by | Rob Grant Glenn Sakatch |
| Music by | David Arcus Michelle Osis |
Production company | 775 Media Corp |
| Distributed by | Freestyle Digital Media Front Row Filmed Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Knuckleball is a 2018 Canadian thriller film written, directed and co-produced by Michael Peterson. The movie was released on March 3, 2018, at the Cinequest Film & VR Festival.
Premise
[edit]Henry, a 12-year-old boy, discovers his family's dark legacy when his mysterious grandfather suddenly dies leaving him alone on an isolated farm.
Cast
[edit]- Michael Ironside as Jacob
- Munro Chambers as Dixon
- Luca Villacis as Henry
- Kathleen Munroe as Mary
- Chenier Hundal as Paul
Release
[edit]Reception
[edit]On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Knuckleball has an approval rating of 83% based on 24 reviews.[1] On Metacritic, another review aggregator which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[2] Brad Wheeler from The Globe and Mail gave the movie 3 out of 4 starts, writing: "The Canadian-made creep-fest begins laboriously as co-writer/director Michael Peterson figures out how to rid the plot of any phones. (Every thrill-maker filmmaker has to deal with that pesky issue, but Peterson’s methods are slower than a Macaulay Culkin growth-spurt.) Otherwise, Knuckleball does not flutter"[3]
Dennis Harvey, writing for Variety, stated: "Michael Peterson effectively earns suspension of disbelief with stark atmospherics, solid performances and a persuasive escalation of panic."[4] Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times called Knuckleball "effective" and said: "This is a tautly constructed exercise in suspense, set among striking-looking snowbound fields and farmhouses. It’s a vivid slice-of-life, even before the literal slicing begins."[5]
Accolades
[edit]Knuckleball won the 2019 AMPIA Awards in the category of "Best Screenwriter (Drama over 30 minutes)"[6] and was nominated for the same award in the categories of "Best Dramatic Feature" and "Best Director (Drama over 30 minutes)"[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Knuckleball". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 2019-05-23. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Knuckleball (2018)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ Wheeler, Brad. "Review: Knuckleball is lean, mean and eerie". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis. "Film Review: 'Knuckleball'". Variety. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ Murray, Noel. "Review: Slow to take flight, thriller 'Knuckleball' proves effective". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ "The 2019Alberta Film and Television Awards Winners" (PDF). ampia.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ "The 2019Alberta Film and Television Awards Finalists" (PDF). ampia.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.