The more characters in a film based on a telephone conversation, the harder it is to analyze what happened. This is because, with more characters, the film becomes more convoluted and difficult to follow.
The first half of “The Desperate Hour ”is indeed moving in this direction. Calls from different people, one by one, let us deeply understand the reasons for the urgency of the story, much like the Netflix film “The Guilty”. The rhythm of the film is stable in the second half, which is a clear exchange of information and a seamless connection of the story. The conversation between Amy, detective Paulson, and 911 dispatcher Dedra Wilkinson was very weighty. The ending is not unique, but the film can firmly grasp our attention, thanks to the compact plot.
The urgency and trauma of the school shooting are the two aspects on which the film depends. But it doesn't deal with events at all. Although the film provides the necessary details of what happened in school, we don't know why. The film “The Desperate Hour ” also delves into the thoughts of parents who know their children are in danger and there is nothing they can do about it. However, the madness of parents worried that their children might be shot at any time has disappeared, which is the premise of the film. The film is called a thrilling panic scene because of the heroine Amy Carr( Naomi Watts ). She also made us ignore the shortcomings we mentioned earlier. The film uses Amy's mental and physical state to express panic, and she's done it completely. This kind of confusion, despair, and the ability to show primitive helplessness and convey inner power at the same time. This ability is very strong, which she did very persuasively.
"The Desperate Hour" is about a woman running in "despair" for more than an hour, but the feeling of the film is so big that it is surprising. All this is due to the acting skills of Naomi Watts. As for the technical details, Chris Sparling's script is very compact. Thanks to Naomi Watts's grasp of the framework, “The Desperate Hour” is quite different from a thriller.
The music and sound effect design of The“ Desperate Hour” can effectively maintain the sense of urgency and panic of the film. Cinematography closely depicts Amy (both physically and mentally), giving us a comprehensive view of the magnificent scenery of different terrain. In general, if you are willing to ignore repeated campus shooting themes, then this is a film worth seeing.
