The Lookalike

Drug lord William Spinks (John Savage) has arranged – through his friends Bobby and Frank – an erotic engagement with the young Sadie Hill (Gillian Jacobs). However, due to an unfortunate event Sadie dies before the two can have their meeting. Remembering that the drug lord has not seen Sadie since she was a child Bobby and Frank (John Corbett and Steven Bauer) realize they have time to find a replacement. As they begin their time sensitive search to get a lookalike they ignite a series of unlikely events that lead to very surprising outcomes.

The film is a high-stakes fast paced thriller, that I’ll admit had me laughing just as much as it had me on the edge of my seat – with my hands covering my mouth – wishing it was socially expectable to shout “Oh no they didn’t!” at the screen. The script is freshly written, with characters just as unusual as the story. The finished film provided each character with exactly enough back story for an audience to understand what was going on with them individually, and where each one was coming from. The film never wastes the audience’s time by revealing unnecessary facts about the characters that don’t affect the plot or outcome.

The direction is on point, with every frame being a very deliberate, wonderful portrayal of the fate-manipulated chaos which rules the character’s lives. The all-star cast supports the film with vibrant, wonderful and raw performances that are often unseen in films of this nature, especially those performances by Gillian Jacobs (Sadie/Lacey) and Scottie Thompson (Mila), they were both brilliant. While it may not be everyone’s favorite film, it is highly enjoyable and definitely worth the watch.

“The Lookalike” is currently in theatres, on VOD, and downloadable on iTunes.