valvenafilms Review of 88

88 (2022)

Well cast and one visual scene in particular is one you won't forget anytime soon. Very strong execution in that father to son moment.

[8/10 · 20 June 2022]

I've always been a fan of suspenseful political thrillers: the cat and mouse, the mystery to be solved, a complex web unraveling, etc. So when I heard Eromose was doing a Political thriller I was excited because he knows how to do suspense and handle atmosphere. This has proven to be a strength of his in all of the films he has directed. This film, in actuality, was more of a mix genre piece with a lot of different elements than what you would typically find in the tropes of a standard political thriller. There is a familial element to it and although I've always been a viewer more geared towards the detached and plots revolving around singular individuals, even loners, this familial element did lead to one of the best scenes in the film, a father son conversation accentuated beautifully with blue and red police strobe lightning, and the tone from start to finish was handled perfectly in that sequence. An unexpected moment that not only hits strong but that showed Eromose has visual flare and then some. The bar scene, another brilliant exhibition of mastering a sequence and the visual image with editing, tone, framing, suspense and atmosphere. The sequence with the guard and the elevator, as he gets out of there just in time and we see a glimpse of who emerges to meet him. More than ever: these moments, images, and sequences in 88 show that Eromose is a skilled director who can do drama, family pieces, suspense thrillers, probably even comedies and horror but whereas he can do a lot of different genres well because of his mastery of the craft of filmmaking, the fact remains that he would kill if he was in the genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action or even Westerns. Any one of these genres would play to his strengths. So while a capable director with the full overall package and skill set, I am eager to see more of Eromose's work in the future hopefully lean into one of the more kinetic visual genres, but I am grateful for the three superb visual sequences I received in 88, the father son police convo, the friend to friend chat at the bar over a drink untouched, and the elevator scene with the guard and the man not met. Don't be fooled by the fact that this Director has a hold over the fundamentals of filmmaking and his execution is sound; he has massively untapped potential and fuel in the tank waiting to be ignited in the visually atmospheric genres. 88 is worth a watch as it has a lot of different elements to like but I'm watching to see what this director does next.