Landmine Goes Click (Movie Review)

Profoundly unpleasant. That seems as good a way to describe Landmine Goes Click to your average moviegoer. It might also be the nicest way to describe a film that seems to portray a vehement hatred for the female gender- but we'll get to that. Director Levan Bakhia knows precisely what buttons to push when it comes to flooding his frames with angst and tension, but his crosshairs are singularly focused to the point he's missing important targets just outside his field of vision. The result? Missed opportunity. 

Here's what you need to know: Daniel (Dean Geyer), Chris (Sterling Knight), and  Alicia (Spencer Locke) are three friends touring the scenic landscapes of Europe. Daniel and Alicia are engaged to be married, but Daniel is unaware that Alicia and Chris recently hooked up. Suddenly the unthinkable happens when, on a hill formerly used as a minefield during war, Chris steps on a landmine. Frantic and unsure if it's still a live explosive device the three plot out how to get help. 

That premise gets you about 15 to 20 minutes in and to go any further would, I think, be a disservice. The remaining 1+ hours isn't particularly groundbreaking and apparently has an axe to grind with women, but it's at least worth experiencing unsullied. It could however be argued that Bakhia's film does not earn the right to be experienced unsullied due to the dirty deeds inflicted upon Locke's character- an argument to the contrary would be fraught with conflict. When the credits roll it's doubtful anyone would go to bat for anything redeeming the film has to offer, but let's explore that unpopular position anyway. 

Bekhia is clearly a filmmaker that at the very least has the chops to put together a competent film, make the material compelling, and wrap things up in such a way that invokes a reaction. Landmine Goes Click looks great, tension is established wonderfully, and the film certainly leaves an impression following the final act that is committed. Once context comes into play, the film's redeeming aspects start to back away slowly into the shadows. Locke, is not the only female character on the receiving end of disgusting male behavior- an aspect hidden from the initial premise, but deserves mentioning. Bakhia and his co-writers' disrespect reaches unfathomable levels to the point that Landmine Goes Click cannot be considered entertainment. It's the final terrible act committed by a character that makes Landmine Goes Click worth enduring. The act itself is equally if not more reprehensible compared to what you've just endured, but the note the film cuts to black on is haunting, depressing, and powerful.   

Shallow characters and a couple of weak performances serve only to magnify the weaknesses in the screenplay. The morally bankrupt approach to the script feels all the more abhorrent due to the fact that three writers contributed their voice to its vicious demeanor and not one was able to steer the conversation in a different direction. There are any number of slimy and villainous words in the English dictionary that can be used to describe the overall experience of Landmine Goes Click and even fewer one can conjure up to justify a recommendation. The long and the short of it is that Landmine Goes Click should not in any way shape or form be sought out with vigor, but if you find yourself in the position to check it out, please do so...but understand that the recommendation comes with an apprehensive and heavy heart.