I love telling stories in a creative way. The film “Locke” captured my attention a decade ago with its unusual narrative. The entire story follows a character (played by Tom Hardy) and takes place inside of his car. The 2021 thriller “The Desperate Hour” follows a similar inspiration.
Premiering at TIFF under its original title “Lakewood,” it was written by Chris Sparling and directed by Phillip Noyce. Naomi Watts stars and serves as (virtually) the only character we see on screen.
The Horror of School Shootings
Amy Carr (Naomi Watts) lost her husband a year ago. Young daughter Emily (Sierra Maltby) smiles, waves, and boards a school bus. Teenage son Noah (Colton Gobbo) is still in mourning. He’s last seen in bed, feigning illness, and refusing to go to class.
Amy goes for a run amidst the beautiful wilderness – filming took place in the North Bay region of Ontario. The luscious foliage, picturesque landscapes, and cooing sound of Mourning Dove’s make for stunning atmosphere.
Amy takes a series of mundane calls from a friend, a mechanic, and her mother before the routine morning abruptly ends. She watches several police cars race past her on the rural road before a notification shrieks across her phone: CODE RED ALERT! The school is locked down due to an active shooter.
Naomi’s Show
Naomi Watts has the acting skills to tackle what demonstrates to be a difficult role. We follow Amy Carr as she goes from a typical loving mom to a frantic terrified parent in a split second. The swiftness with which life can change in an instant is captured flawlessly.
A touching moment shows Amy listening to her husband’s last voicemail message, something we can envision her doing countless times. Watts doesn’t get to play off other actors. The bulk of the 84-minute film is in real time, with her only dialogue being against faceless voices on her phone.
The film takes several emotional turns. Amy’s futile attempts to reach the school on foot. Her telephonic pleas with other characters, including a 911 dispatcher and a Lyft driver. And the police, who aloofly pose the scenario that Noah may be the shooter.
Good not Great
Naomi Watts performance and the material itself kept me invested in “The Desperate Hour” and its worth watching for that alone.
**(sort of) SPOILER**
I was ultimately let down by its paint-by-numbers ending. Watching the film, I kept hoping for more. I was certain there was another shoe to drop. In my mind, I had half a dozen viable Alas, nothing. Credits rolled, and it was just another simple story masked by a cool concept.
