Aisha Dee – Cut To The Chase

Directed By: Nicole Clifford

Written By: Alice Fulcher and Gregory Erdstein

Based on a Story by: Heather Wilson

Cinematography: Simon Ozolins

Editor: Julie-Anne De Ruvo

Cast: Emily Browning, Aisha Dee, Sean Keenan, Ashley Zuckerman, Pallavi Sharda, Hamish Michael, Anna McGahan, Contessa Treffone

New Year’s Eve 1999. Minnie discovers a bottle of Time Traveling Tequila. Each shot takes her back to the start of the night, giving her a bottle’s worth of shots to change the course of her millennium.

This movie takes the familiar groundhog‘s Day formula and places it on a single nurse reuniting with college friends in 1999 when it’s about to become the year 2000 and thanks to a magical tequila which when she takes a shot of brings her back to the exact moment that she arrives at the party she tries to get it right each time to have a successful romantic reunion with her ex

The film follows the formula of each time things going drastically wrong and throughout the film learning it’s less about her and more about the relationships and people surrounding her. That makes for many times when you think the main character is finally going to learn their lesson and move on, but then still keeps making the same mistakes just in different ways that by the third act and there is a little surprise as we find out, she might not be the only one who is having or has had this experience

The cast is committed to the material. It’s just one wishes the material was a little bit richer as the film should somewhat being ensemble, but it seems to only remember this when it comes to the third act before that is pretty much a one-woman show for lead. Emily Browning, who I am a fan of and finally gets a chance to shine in lighter material than she is usually in

Going for the more traditional romantic comedy and then just general comedy that does have a few Macabre moments. That is much darker than the usual GROUNDHOG DAY plot devices.

It’s just that the film is never quite funny enough nor compelling enough so that it comes across as only OK even with its familiar material. it remains entertaining enough and what help salad is that there isn’t any big comedian in the film so you don’t have to watch their so-called stick it’s more just actors which makes it a little more believable no matter how silly they might get.

Though at times it feels like it’s Stretching to fit in some more comedy at times when the Main character makes truly baffling decisions.

The film for all its cynical beginnings develops a heart throughout which then kind of cancels the first half though it might be the film and filmmaker trying to show not only the growth of characters, but also the growth of material and the film maturing.

It seems set in the millennium just for the soundtracks sake which it doesn’t do much with and maybe to keep cellphones out of the equation and explain certain costume choices,but other then that could have stayed modern.

Let though it’s entertaining enough and a good time waster if you do want to check it out and it’s fine for what it is. The draw here is Emily Browning

Grade: C

Written & Directed By: Hannah Barlow & Kane Senes
Cinematography: Steve Arnold
Editor: Margi Hoy

Cast: Aisha Dee, Hannah Barlow, Emily De Margheriti, Daniel Monks, Yerin Ha, Lucy Barrett

Teen best friends Cecilia and Emma, run into each other after a decade. Cecilia is invited to Emma’s bachelorette weekend where she gets stuck in a remote cabin with her high school bully and a taste for revenge.

The film reminds me a bit Of BODIES, BODIES, BODIES. Only that movie was more experimental and subversive. That had good ideas, but ultimately never quite came together. This film tries that at first before becoming more what you might expect. Just as it might remind some of a more gruesome version of the recent comedy thriller MY FRIENDS HATE ME

At first, it seems like a film that will be a battle of wills between two characters still vying for the same friend.

The film Could have played that way of having the main character constantly being at odds with her nemesis throughout one against the other but along the way goes more for a witty throwback slasher film.

The character seems to take out revenge early on. So that was the first strike. All these years later, she got what she wanted and now feels threatened by her reappearance and just as when she got herself together and felt better about herself. She is dragged back in and hopes everyone will be civilized as adults. Her adversary playing the victim goes back to her old ways villanizing her to their new friends. When really she stays the bully only now through victimhood and microaggressions. That slowly triggers the protagonist into a mental breakdown.

The film shows how overly positive self-therapy can backfire if you never truly face the trauma of your past and still hold onto issues and anger. As it isn’t always proper care and if not fully healed old winds can fester and infect.

The film indulges in macabre humor. Where it seems to take particular glee in showcasing the more gruesome death scenes. Which have a nostalgic flavor like the main character by using practical special effects.

A revenge tale. The film has the audience at times switch loyalties as we are usually with the main character and while might not condone her acts. We see what pushed her to it and at times feels like some characters get what is coming to them and others are collateral damage.

As they can be cruel and treat her like crap. They do deserve a comeuppance but not necessarily death. Especially when they judge her and don’t reply know her. Though by making them more modern hipster types instead of characters. We do feel not too much sympathy except for the gruesome nature of their deaths and the more decent ones seem to get the cruelest death scenes. After a while, the film becomes more about that set-up

Would say it seems cruel but goes with the attitude of the film. Pokes fun at influencer culture and social media to validate and can easily drive you crazy. After the first kill it pretty much feels like a comedy.

The film focuses a little too long on dead carcasses. Gore and violence though constantly provoking behind her back with group think.

It’s obvious who the villain is from the beginning but seems to want to play with the audience’s emotions. Even as it seems each is the other’s trigger. So the writing was pretty much on the wall. So the setup is there

Doesn’t use the opportunity to the best of its abilities. Don’t know why she would really invite her, especially knowing how her two friends feel about one another, and worst of all the bully is proven right. Even if she is mroe pushed into it and mentally broken.

An explosive situation brings an unstable element. Is it predictable for a fan of the genre or at least a little spoof or poking humor at a horrific situation

The audience can predict the order of deaths at first. Especially if an aficionado of the genre. Kind of like the guest Star system of Star Trek.

The main character is overboard in her actions even from the beginning. As she is obsessive and finally pushed over the edge. As is her first kill. She and her bully are alike, her bully Might be evil but stops short of being a physical psychopath she is more mental. So the bully is more of a sociopath.

The film could have easily gone into a more racial direction but obviously not wanting to showcase or have much to say about it. While the main tormentors and central figure are caucasian. The other characters including the lead are made up of a diverse cast. In fact another African American character, a disabled character, and a character of Asian descent

The ending is not quite predictable. There is a set-up for a sequel.

In all, I would call this a film of a murderous mental breakdown

Grade: B-

Tag: Aisha Dee

ONE MORE SHOT (2025)

SISSY (2022)