Burn, Mike Gan’s directorial debut, is a dark and twisted thriller that never exactly satisfies the viewer. The concept is interesting, a reasonable plot-line set in one location: a mediocre gas station. A small cast does justice to their unique and eerily individual characters, enough to keep you engaged but not enough to make this a memorable film experience.
The film never failed to make me question the human mind as it was virtually filled with psychological mind trickery. The main character, Melinda (played by Tilda Cobham-Hervey), seems harmless enough as a socially outcasted misfit, but we quickly learn she is more than the average oddball.
Graveyard Shift at the Gas Station
Arriving for her graveyard shift at the gas station, we see her awkwardly interact with less than interested costumers, which builds up her persona to be less than desirable to be around, yet you still find yourself feeling a sense of pity for her. She is often ignored for her more attractive counterpart and coworker, Sheila (Suki Waterhouse), left pining after a police officer (Harry Shum Jr.), and to hammer the nail in the coffin, she finds stress relief in dipping her hand in scalding hot coffee.
Melinda is not meant to be understood or liked, but merely an example of a strange character who must go against another, more sinister and impending force. Queue Billy, (Josh Hutcherson) our antagonist who attempts to rob the station and gets more than expected when he encounters a desperate Melinda. Almost makes him wish he settled his score with the notorious biker gang that he owed money to – who I don’t recall ever being named and they serve very little purpose except for being the reason Billy steps foot in the 24/7 hell hole.
Rapid Escalation
The film is quick-paced and escalates rapidly, a more or less lame attempt at stealing turns into a bloody mess when Billy decides to not be the “nice guy” any longer. With an urgent need for control, Melinda takes matters into her own hands but does not think about the consequences her actions might result in. As the crime piles atop itself, she cracks under pressure and this seems to be the primary focus of the film, if there was to be one.
Her character is simply underdone; a mess of a vengeful need to be useful, a meek and desperate lone wolf looking for approval. The character is played well for what is presented, however, the connection just does not seem to click during the overall performance. Her identity is incoherent and you find yourself hoping no one wins this infernal battle of wits and survival.
I found myself predicting many plot lines as they were more or less mediocre in thought, awkward and unstable. However, the chilling essence of the lighting and certain shots left me feeling immersed. I only wish that the pros from the design departments were enough to add a little more meat to the overall story. A score by Ceiri Torjussen was authentic and applicable to various scenes and I felt that these elements saved some dignity in the width of production.
Burn: Conclusion
Overall, Burn chases an unidentifiable theme in an effort to cram multiple plot twists to keep the audience engaged. At times, I caught myself questioning whether the character would really do what I thought they were about to do and low and behold, they did it. It seemed as if the film was narrating my thoughts for me, creating some border of twisted dark comedy within the layers of a suspense piece.
The concept, like I previously mentioned, is promising. It is comparable to a reversal on Stockholm Syndrome, which I find to be a unique perspective. Some people turn out to be more dark and demented than others. It makes one question how we view society as a whole, which I believe was the point behind this production. A think piece that just fell a little flatter than expected. Ultimately, Burn is a stand-off between undeniable indie individualism and psycho-thriller, without a true path.
Burn was released in the U.S. on August 23, 2019.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Seqose3aE
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