Title: Time Now
Director: Spencer King
Starring: Eleanor Lambert, Xxavier Polk, Claudia Black
MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins

What It Is: A young mother returns to her estranged hometown of Detroit after the sudden death of her twin brother and immerses herself in his friend group, soon discovering that his death is not what it seems.

What We Think: While being a fairly well put together picture, Time Now is missing something. All the performances are great here, and the cinematography is excellent – but therein lies the main gripe I had with the film. There’s simply no core to this story. The entirely of the film’s runtime is filled with gloom and doom, which might sound suitable for the film’s story, but it really drags the 90 minute runtime into something that feels like 150.

Again, the film is well-shot (although in some instances I felt like the coloring felt a bit too on the nose with the mood), and everyone here does a good job acting-wise. Eleanor Lambert delivers a subtle yet conflicted performance, and is interesting to watch as the lead character here. The supporting cast… supports in the best way they can. I’m going to be quite frank, besides the presentation and acting, Time Now didn’t grab me at all. Perhaps it might just be my film snob self here, but the buildup towards the film’s climax wasn’t all that interesting, and by the final 15 minutes I experienced but a twinge of emotion. That’s quite a subjective opinion, I know, but when a film presents like a slow burn within a 90 minute runtime, I find myself to be less invested when there’s nothing left from the flames.

I will mention this though – the film builds its atmosphere quite well, with Evan Bishton’s score somberly echoing through this tragic, cold landscape of a story. There are images in here that will draw you into the film’s world for a moment, but it also makes you feel like you don’t want to stay – if you know what I mean.

Our Grade: C+; A well made film technically with good performances, Time Now never really reached the center mark of its slowly ticking narrative. If you like ambiance and calm sadness, I’d say check this one out.