My Review of ‘Shimmer Lake’ (2017)
When I heard about how this Netflix Original film told the story backwards, my first thought was of Memento. But this movie is anything but a knock-off.
It’s about a bank robbery in a small town. And, like many small towns (especially in movies), this one has its share of dark secrets buried under its bucolic surface.
Sheriff Zeke Sikes (played by Benjamin Walker) leads the investigation, along with his partner, Reed Ethington (played by Adam Pally), who assists Zeke despite being relegated to the back seat of his cruiser, multiple times. The FBI is also involved to the extent of exercising a lax oversight of the local action. They provide an odd form of comic relief amid the players’ various intrigues and double-crosses.
Among the conspirators to the bank heist, Rainn Wilson is stellar as Zeke’s brother, Andy Sikes, a disgraced prosecutor-turned-ambulance chaser/shyster/low-rent divorce lawyer. Watch Wilson transform from the dweeby Dwight Shrute of The Office into the more desperate and calculating character of the “down and out average man.” The kind of performance you’d expect from William Macy.
The backwards narrative is not simply a gimmick here. It’s used very intentionally. And the effect is to not only create suspense and mystery, but lead up to a twist you’ll kick yourself for not seeing.
And, yes, it took me completely by surprise!
Without question, this gets 5 stars. And it’s awesome to see that truly creative neo-noir filmmaking is not dead.
Directed by Oren Uziel
Produced by Adam Saunders and Britton Rizzio
Screenplay by Oren Uziel
