RED RAGE

Directed by: Savvas D. Michael

Starring; Jack Turner, Steven Berkoff, Ian Reddington, Jamie Crew

Husband and wife hitmen Oscar and Ella Knight are the scourge of the underworld, attacking and executiing anyone who is dealing Red Devil, the drug that Oscar's younger brother got hooked on. Meanwhile pot dealer Hugo tries to keep a grip on reality while dealing with his customers and Riley Rose is chasing one final hit of Red Devil…

Red Rage is the first instalment of a loosely connected series of films under the Saints and Savages banner, and contains many of the motifs which will show up in later entries.

First and foremost of these are the literary aspirations of the script. Nobody in this film has a simple, normal conversation. Everything is drawn out to the Nth degree, as the actors deliver lengthy monologues. The second is the non-stop soundtrack which mixes Morricone-esque spaghetti western themes with operatic arias. The spaghetti western themes are destined to get stuck in your head, just so you know.

The film opens with a meeting between Oscar, Ella, and Oscar's mother who is a) suffering from dementia and b) a horrible racist who hates her daughter-in-law. The purpose of the conversation is to locate Billy, Oscar's brother, who has gotten addicted to a new designer drug called Red Devil. This has caused Oscar to believe he's on a Mission from God to wipe out anyone connected with the drug in order to save his sibling.

This in itself wouldn't be a bad plot but the script has to go to absurd lengths. It turns out that Ella is so aroused by violence and death that she insists on having sex right in the middle of robbing two dealers at gunpoint, with their deaths driving her to orgasm. Famke Jansen's character in Goldeneye, Xenia Onatopp, had a similar condition but at least she could keep it in her pants so to speak.

Oscar and Ella's crusade has created a Red Devil drought, which drives addict Riley to distraction. He manages to obtain a gun and starts desperately seeking the drug. Jamie Crew truly immerses himself into the role of Riley, to the point that its actually difficult to watch at times as he whines in pain and drools from his mouth.

Amidst all of the over-stylised pretentiousness going on, there is a fun metaphysical element to the film. Oscar and Ella believe they are doing God's work, following a vision that Oscar had. He prays to God that the killings they are doing in His name will be rewarded with the salvation of Billy. However as a counterpoint, one of the dealer believes Red Devil is the drug of the Devil, who brought it into the world and has now taken it back, down to Hell. If that is the case, then surely Oscar and Ella are working for the other side? I guess you'll have to decide when you learn of Billy's fate…

THE VERDICT

Red Rage is a hyperstylised and pretentious film, packed full of characters each of whom want to grab their 15 minutes of fame and unleash their Story upon the audience. That is not to say that the film is bad, necessarily. There are elements to enjoy, including the design and cinematography which definitely transcends its budgetary constraints. The script however keeps meandering off, leaving characters mid-scene to dwell elsewhere, to the point its almost like the film itself is on drugs…

 6 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

 RED RAGE IS AVAILABLE FOR FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ON ALL PLATFORMS FROM 12TH APRIL 2021