Original movies, I mean the sort of movie you’ve never seen before, are really hard to come by. All the good ideas have been mined by now. Everything is derivative of everything else and when you maintain a healthy review pile for a blog specializing in exploitation, you forget how delicious a true original is because all you watch are movies that ape the tropes of other, more popular movies. So put yourself in my shoes and try to imagine that rush of elation that comes with the rarest of finds. I can’t quite explain it but it’s a moving experience. For a fan of film in general, it’s almost like religious ecstasy. I don’t use this sort of praise lightly, either. I’m talking about those most elusive of birds here.
A film of this type doesn’t have to be perfect, either, mind you. It can be a flawed picture as long as it presents me with something I have never considered before. With the cost of filmmaking dropping, thanks to computers and their increasing availability, you’re starting to see more and more of these interesting new indies cropping up left and right. It doesn’t diminish the thrill, either. Considering the declining cost of filmmaking, you’re starting to see more and more genre movies that studios wouldn’t touch in a million years and for all the wrong reasons. Fillms like Sleep Dealer and Paranormal Activity are products of this new indie wave that is building momentum slowly. This is no indie boom like the mid-90’s when Kevin Smith, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino burst on to the scene and took Hollywood by storm with their entirely commando approach to making movies. The new wave is moving slowly and keeping its head down and because of their carefully controlled pace, many of them are sneaking right by you. I can’t let this happen with Ink. You need to see it.
What you don’t know about the night time world: When you go to sleep one of two things may happen. Beautiful, exotic and vaguely steampunky people emerge from the dream world and give you pleasant dreams. The other possibility is that horrific men in black suits, faces obscured by plates of glass that distort their features come to you and give you nightmares. These are the Storytellers and the Incubi, two races of people who inhabit the dream world, that exists parallel to our own. There are other people, too, and I’ll get to that, but for right now you need to know that Emma is taken prisoner in the night by the demon, Ink, who wants to offer her as a sacrifice to the Incubi, in order to become one of them. For the moment, he is a drifter, a tortured, distored being in the afterlife who has no affiliation with either side. Persuing him is Allel, Emma’s Storyteller guardian, Jacob a blind pathfinder who sees by listening to the natural beat of the world and can influence and interrupt it to meet his needs as well, and Liev, a supremely powerful Storyteller who falls in as Ink’s prisoner. It’s up to these people to thwart the Incubi and find a way to get Emma’s estranged, workaholic father, legally stripped of custody after his wife’s death thanks to excessive drinking, an 80 hour work week and a history of coke abuse, back to her bedside at the hospital where she lays in a coma. Sounds complicated? Actually, it is. But only a little.
One of the reasons you don’t find movies like Ink often is because movies don’t have the kind of time it takes to build a whole world and its own mythology like Ink does. Few writers posses the kind of skills that Ink’s writer/director, Jamin Winans, has to move the plot along at a brisk pace while creating an entire sandbox to place its own sprawling fairytale in. Ink doesn’t take existing folklore and weave it into a plot about a father saving what’s left of his family, it creates it from the ground up; from scratch. This gorgeous urban fantasy makes it look easy, too. Nearly half the running time is without dialog, subtle suggestions of the rules of the game at work in real time, as you watch it unfold. It tells you enough while suggesting a whole lot more and doesn’t waste time getting in your face to spell everything out to you. It does what good entertainment is supposed to do. It stimulates your brain and lets your imgination connect the dots based on the ammunition you have been provided with.
Ink also has a stunning visual style that looks nothing like any movie I’ve ever seen. Its beautiful special effects put you in the dream world, placing the setting under a soft, surreal filter to clue you in on when you’re watching something going on inside someone’s head or on the other side of the night world, while casting the actual real world in harsh contrasting tones in case you had forgotten how much reality sucks. The Incubi, with their constantly smiling faces hidden by shields of glass, are some of the most terrifying creatures put to film. Practically every shot of Winans’ film is a feast for the eyes, though. Ink is proof positive that effects heavy indie movies are not such a rare commodity anymore.Ink’s effects, though, front and center in every shot of the movie, are the means by which the film’s big ideas are best communicated and the entire picture is propelled into orbit by a burning shot of creativity and innovation, best displayed in a scene where Jacob influences reality by interrupting the rhythm of the world.
The film falters in the casting, occasionally. Chris Kelly, who plays Emma’s deeply haunted father, is a bit wooden and his interpretation of a man whose life is defined by greed and despair is a caricature of the workaholic and the casting of some of the Storytellers is weakened by some awkward moments in the dialog. The film’s big twist in the third act is also fairly predictable and strikes a chord with the viewer as a deus ex machina device to wrap things up but the sheer mass of the emotions going into the story, a series of absolutely exciting fight scenes as the Storytellers fight the Incubi and a climax that is absolutely crushing outline Ink as a film that must be rescued from relative obscurity and brought to the masses. It’s brimming with huge ideas, beautiful photograpy and special effects and strikes a natural balance between its effects and character building. It has a few cracks on the surface but what lies beneath a few of the problems that commonly dog low budget indie pictures is a film rich in originality and beauty. Make it a priority. See Ink. Now.
Head over to the Ink website, where you can but it on DVD, Blu-ray or download it.
November 14, 2009 8:40 am
Finally A site that does real reviews. Yes the movie was a movie that all should see.
November 18, 2009 5:40 am
Thank you for a beautiful review. We are so use to seeing rubbish that it is hard to see a gem when it is right in front of you. Hopefully the whole team that made this film will get enough success to go on to other projects – other joys to bring to the world. I think this movie should be seen alone, at a quite time, when you are alert to feeling and the world. I loved the whispers in this film, not enough whispers in films. And as you say wow what an emotional ride, there were many hooks in this film for me the visuals are powerful. Everyone should watch this film. Again, thank you for the thoughtful review Bryan.
Condor
November 18, 2009 11:09 am
I also enjoyed the film. It is nice not to be hit over the head with every nuance and to be trusted by the filmaker to think. What a pleasure. My choice for best film of ‘09.
November 21, 2009 8:43 am
I felt compelled to reply to this review, you hit the nail on the head. In a world of big budget films glorifying mindless entertainment via sex, violence and mundane plots, Ink has given me hope in future films. No huge advertising campaign, famous actors or that dumb feeling one has after watching a so called “box office hit.” Ink was truly original, innovative film making at its best, truly a pleasure to watch.
November 27, 2009 9:08 pm
Oh heck yeah!!! I just saw this is on Netflix Watch Instantly. I’m so excited to give this a viewing tonight. I saw the trailer a while back and was very intrigued with the visuals and story premise. Thank you Bryan your endorsement has me even more excited to view it.
November 28, 2009 2:07 am
just got done watching INK. wow….utter amazement for indie story making this was jaw dropping original and creative. You’re right though a few moments didn’t feel right or where out of place and some acting didn’t hit the mark but taken as a whole this was such an amazing accomplishment. To see something so unique and original with such a wonderful message about the power of forgiveness. We need more of these type of films.
December 3, 2009 5:20 pm
Awesome….a really awesome easy watching movie. Also totally different to any other movie I’ve watched. Although there are few scenes that doesn’t really make sense I can truly say that this is on top of my list of 2009!
Go and watch it!
December 4, 2009 2:27 am
Yeah, I just got done watching it and I gotta’ say. It’s very artistic, and the fight scenes were so well done even for a low budget movie, actually, the fight scenes were better than 80% of the mainstream stuff, and I’m not kidding. Either way, you people should watch it, it has a powerful storyline with a good moral to it.
December 9, 2009 10:32 pm
I saw another review of this movie… the reviewer had no idea what even happened in the movie, he just said it was trash and moved on! It really got on my nerves that some people might be reading that and are immediately throwing this movie out of their minds as terrible. It’s my new favorite movie, I love it. Thank you for the great review, Bryan.
December 11, 2009 11:51 am
Just saw it last night. Beautiful movie. Wonderful story. And the little girl who plays Emma did an amazing job (“Why? Why? WHY?!!”). It’s good to find a review that truly does this movie justice. A film for a thinking audience, to be sure.
December 17, 2009 1:25 am
Yah the review is great and accurate. i trust this website for other reviews in future too, especially from this good critic, Bryan.
December 17, 2009 9:10 am
Aw! You guys are too kind.
December 21, 2009 3:58 pm
INK moved me more than almost any other movie I have ever seen. It is a movie with beautiful, life affirming messages. The more seasoned in life the viewer is, the more impacfull the movie. The special effects were great and almost every scene was a feast for the eyes. But, special effects is not what this movie is about! The effects are used to enhance the wonderful, moving, intricate and powerful story.
December 28, 2009 2:47 am
This is the best movie i have ever seen. And i see them all!
I can watch this movie over and over again. It is just perfect!
I have no words to describe, this movie deserves all the good reviews. Please log on Imdb.com and rate positively this movie. This must go in the top. And would be for sure in the top 10 of most Sci-Fi/Fantasy ever made.
December 29, 2009 9:13 pm
I have seen thousands of movies in my life but never had a favorite until i saw this movie. This movie got more emotion out of me than all the movies i have seen combined (excluding comedy).
January 17, 2010 11:20 pm
Great review! And yes, this movie was brilliant! Such a breath of fresh air in haze of Hollywood fog.
Bryan, you did miss something, however. This world is not built from the ground up. It is -loaded- with Christian imagery. There is even a direct quote from the letter of 2 Peter: “A day is like 1000 years, and a 1000 years is like a day” (2 Peter 3:8). The Storyteller with Ink is the Christ figure, who is pierced (yes) three times, which leads to Ink’s redemption. She is the beautiful sacrifice. Though a “great warrior,” she gives herself freely to be taken (bound in chains), humiliated (hair cut off) and to die (stabbed by the head baddy).
There is a build in the movie as Ink watches her freely be trampled upon, and it stuns him more and more until the climax where she dies and he fights for her daughter.
I suspect the screenwriter/director is a Christian, or at least, very familiar with the Gospel story. It had dozens of parallels.
January 21, 2010 1:49 pm
Superb review !
Can I translate to spanish and publish in my blog (with links to your blog obviously) ?
I saw the film and was a shocking (in good terms) experience
Thanks
January 21, 2010 2:50 pm
Please do. Provide me with a link to the review and I’ll link back to you.
January 24, 2010 11:37 am
I stumbled across this movie by total accident….and I couldn’t be more pleased. The concept is amazing, and I was taken by surprise by the emotion involved. The characters were nothing less than cool (especialy the incubus) who were something straight out of an Aphex Twin video. Another character I really liked was the pathfinder, and I was left wanting to know more about him and the incubus, but much is left up to the viewers imagination outside of the storys main path. After watching this film, I just wanted to watch it again….and that never happens. I highly recommend this film for the whole family in any household…you don’t want to pass this one up!!
January 31, 2010 8:13 am
when the film started I though “oh no some doggy filming and acting here, but as it moved on I found myself getting into it.
I love films and sci -fi , I have a top ten movies and INK has just taken a position in my top ten movies.
great film , brill story.
10 out of 10
February 2, 2010 3:35 am
I just watched the movie and agree it’s a rare pearl. There is one aspect of the plot that is unclear to me, though. Ink seems to be John (Emma’s father) after committing suicide. How can John be alive and awake by Emma’s bed in the hospital and be Ink in the other world at the same time? The movie seems to suggest that John commits suicide after Emma’s death or his wife death. But Emma can only die if Ink (John) commits suicide first and then takes her into the other world by force. In the other case of suicide after the wife’s death, still doesn’t seem logical to see John by Emma’s bed and in the other world as Ink at the same time. Did I miss something?
February 8, 2010 4:27 am
I suppose this film is too intelectual for nowadays society. Our society is overfeeded of Paris Hilton, Chuck norris and of course Teletubbies,hehehe just ironicly kidding.by the way, the soundtrack of in astonished me for rest of my life!!!
February 16, 2010 2:36 pm
Wake up people, this is a movie for kids…fake action scenes, lame story, bad acting, it`s full of cliches…..
February 16, 2010 2:48 pm
Because the opinion of someone too chickenshit to leave their name means so much.
Thanks for stopping by, Me.
February 16, 2010 7:46 pm
who the fuck stole my name and wrote shit?
March 1, 2010 4:14 am
I agree with Bruno, and it is the key reason why I’m torn with this movie.
I love the imagery, the awesome characters that are the Incubi, the storyteller Liev, and the Pathfinder Jacob. I enjoyed the whole “world outside our world” that is realistic yet fantastical. I think the little girl who played Emma was utterly sublime in her role, and the climax where she looks towards Ink is soul-crushing. haven’t had the heart strings plucked like that in a while.
However, the ending part where Ink’s identity is revealed was personally destructive to the movie. It makes absolutely no sense in the context of the film, to the point of being a plot impossibility. If Ink is in this netherworld because of death, then his real world persona can’t exist, because that would mean he’s alive. BAM! Viewer confusion.
This then leads to all sorts of other questions that makes this viewer less sympathetic. Was the Incubi after Ink, or Emma? What is the importance of Ink or Emma that the Incubi take such an interest in them? What was the guy amongst the Incubi near the end with the Incubi with the creepy eyes who isn’t explained in the slightest? Exactly how much harm could Jacob do when he affects the “Pulse of the World”? More still, since he was able to do what he did for the storytellers, could a “bad” Pathfinder do the same for the Incubi? Was the death of John’s wife really coincidental?
I wish it had ended differently, because the movie was otherwise very enjoyable. I’d even recommend it to friends. However the climax left me irritated at the filmmaker for what seems like a fairly obvious and glaring storytelling flaw.
March 11, 2010 10:08 pm
I too loved the movie. Moreover, it made me think. I personally felt, regarding the movie, that children are always united with their soul and matured people are the ones who lose the link with their soul in due course of time in life. Ink was the soul of the father character; alive in the parallel world. The Story tellers and the Incubi was actually fighting for the souls of the child and that of the father.