Preview: Union Bridge (2019)

A man returns to his home town and as he reconnects with its people, he begins to discover hidden secrets from the past...

Sometimes, the film you expect isn't what you get. This can usually be a good thing, the film has surprised you. In some ways, Union Bridge is like that. I was expecting a more horror type of story, connecting the past and the present, based on what little I knew about it. That it isn't that, was the first surprise of the film.

Union Bridge was written and directed by Brian Levin. He has written for TV before but this is his debut writing a film as well as directing for the first time. From a writing perspective, the film is a bit mixed. The parts of Will connecting with his past, including old friend Nick, disturbed by visions, along with Mary someone from his past, now turned to religion are very well done. I thought the film did a good job of capturing the return of someone to the town they grew up in very well indeed. He lets the story take time to develop, allowing the relationship between Will and Mary to develop naturally, not forcing it. 

Where I thought it less successful, was in where the visions Nick took the story, along with flashbacks to the American Civil War. I get the film wants to set up a sort of mystery aspect here,suggesting Will's family have a secret behind their power in the town, but sadly that part doesn't fully work. There's a suggestion of, perhaps, a supernatural dimension to the story, but it's not developed fully to really work. As a consequence, the ending feels a little abrupt with unanswered questions lingering.

I think Levin is more sure as a director. While the film lacks the tension the story hints at, as a romantic drama it works better. It helps too that the lead performances aren't bad.

Scott Friend plays Will and is good in the role. There is good support from Emma Duncan as Mary, Alex Breaux as Nick and Elisabeth Noone as Jeanie. The others in the cast get little screentime but are okay.

The music by Turner Curran, Steve Damstra II, Chris Retsina and Caleb Stine isn't that bad and the film is well shot by Sebastian Slayter. 

While I did have story issues with Union Bridge, the mystery aspects in particular, the other parts, the reconnecting with the past and the blossoming romance, I thought worked well indeed.

It may not have been the film I, perhaps, was expecting, but it was one I think overall is worth a look.

Rating: 3/5