Now Streaming: The Send-Off (2023) - Reviewed

Images Courtesy of Midnight Road 

Stories about the price of fame are a common theme within Hollywood, almost to the point of self-parody.  However, there is a darker subgenre that takes these concepts into more adult oriented areas of the psyche.   John-Michael Powell's The Send-Off is a unique entry into this pantheon.  While most stories of this nature seek to teach a lesson or expose the dark side of something thought pure, Powell's powerhouse thriller revels in the truth that has been exposed time and time again with respect to the industry.  Featuring an unforgettable ensemble, pitch black satire, and a nasty, accusatory ambiance throughout, this is an excellent foray into familiar territory. 

An award-winning actor, Dan Stevens receives a phone call that shatters his lavish lifestyle.  In response, he holds an impromptu house party with his closest friends and a night of friendship and shared memories devolves into something dark and heartbreaking. Powell's script, along with his filmmaking is extremely economical.  Virtually none of the film's 88 minute runtime is wasted.  Zachary Ray Sherman gives a truly nuanced and appalling performance as Dan.  This is the kind of film that makes a career.  The story has many revelations that ultimately mutate the tone, moving from drama, to comedy, to reality-based horror and this is anchored by Sherman's absolute embrace of the material.  

 

He is supported by Lena Drake who gives a scene stealing performance as Dan's ex-girlfriend.  Her evolution through the three stages of the plot structure is both heartbreaking and cheer inducing to behold.  Rounding out the trifecta is Ben York Jones, who portrays one of Dan's longtime friends.  His delivery is perfect, blending searing satire and scorn to a perfect mixture, a summation of both the current industry landscape and the impact of meeting your heroes in person.   

Elijah's Guess's cinematography is the final ingredient.  This is a tight, claustrophobic story in which a feeling of dread, of time running out is ever present.  Guess' ability to transmute this into a visual reality is a sensation.  The shots of the interior house are warmly lit, but a specter always hangs over the proceedings, similar to Karyn Kusama's The Invitation. Using a muted color palette, dappled with bright explosions from articles of clothing or ambient screens enhances the mood, mimicking a night of heartfelt revelry on the verge of emotional destruction. 

 

Now available for digital rental, The Send-Off is a unique foray in to subject matter that has been tackled endlessly.  While some of the material is predictable, the approach is completely unique, almost presenting the cautionary tale in an inverted format, where the downfall is already in progress.   While there are many films that take shots at the glitz and the glamour, few take the time to explore what happens to the stars when their time is up.   Powell's film goes beyond simply what happens, by showing the audience a grim finality to the darker side of Hollywood. 

--Kyle Jonathan