Straitjacket Movie Review

Straitjacket is a crime-thriller drama written and directed by Phillip Wiedenheft. The movie is produced by Joe Cook, Sean W. Mangan, and Phillip Wiedenheft. The cinematography is executed by Joe Cook, while the editing is done by Phillip Wiedenheft. The background scores and music are composed by Ethan Frederick and Dan Kiwacka. The special effects are added by Patrick Ferguson. The film features Phillip Wiedenheft, Katelynn E. Newberry, Kelly Hancock, and Jo Anna Lloyd in prominent roles.

Plot

When an unstable army veteran decides to have fun and goes to spend some time in the woods, he accidentally shoots a person. As he attempts to gather his resources and flee the town, he is forced to face his past and the ruins of his life. He eventually figures out that getting out of the town is more complicated than he expected it to be.

Star Performance

Phillip Wiedenheft delivers an extraordinary performance as an army veteran with drug addiction. His performance effectively displays the struggles of someone with PTSD and drug addiction. The self-realization and confrontational scenes are pretty emotional and raw. Katelynn E. Newberry does a great job as a granddaughter who is grieving the sudden loss of her grandfather while also struggling to recover from her drug addiction. The rest of the cast includes Daniel Britt, Valerie Gilbert, Dylan Hughes, and Brian Gregory. They all have done a great job of playing their roles realistically.

Analysis

The movie revolves around the twists and turns of how an unexpected accident can turn the lives of two people upside-down. It shows the struggles of an army veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how he tries to mask his PTSD with drug abuse. This part of the movie makes the audience ponder over the issues and struggles the veterans and their families have to endure. The plot takes place around the emotions of a remorseful drug addict who is a veteran ( Phillip Wiedenheft) and a grieving woman (Katelynn E. Newberry) who have to suddenly face the loss of her only family member (grandfather) while she is trying to overcome her physical and mental pain of recently losing her mother and grandmother, while also recovering from a drug addiction. The movie's essence is tragedy disguised as a thriller. The plot thickens when the veteran fleeing the town is facing a shortage of money. So, he has to come clean to his acquaintances and try to pay them back for them to help him. The effects and after-effects of drug abuse are pictured very boldly. The visuals are highly intense in terms of language, violence, and bloodbath.

What's There?

• Phillip Wiedenheft and Katelynn E. Newberry capture the audience with their performance.
• Jo Anna Lloyd's performance as a park ranger stands out, though she appears for a few brief scenes.
• The story is drafted sensitively around a tragedy with added thriller elements,
• Ethan Frederick and Dan Kiwacka have delivered thrilling background music.
• The screenplay connects the dots easily throughout the movie.
• Patrick Ferguson does a great job with the visual effects, especially during the violent action sequences.

What's Not There?

• Minor flaws
• The backstory of the army veteran takes place in a short sequence.

Verdict

The story perfectly portrays pain, loss, emotional vulnerability, and remorsefulness. The movie ends, leaving the audience rooting for the characters. If you are looking for a crime thriller that is also drama oriented, then this movie is for you, as it ticks most of the boxes for a dramatic crime-thriller.