• Reviews
    • Watch This
    • VODepths
  • Humor
  • On the Marquee
  • Looking Back
    • Classic Corner
    • Anniversary
  • Film Fests
Crooked Marquee
  • Reviews
    • Watch This
    • VODepths
  • Humor
  • On the Marquee
  • Looking Back
    • Classic Corner
    • Anniversary
  • Film Fests
Home
Film Fests

Fantastic Fest Review: 4×4

Sep 27th, 2019 Eric D. Snider
Fantastic Fest Review: 4×4

A fully loaded SUV, parked on a Buenos Aires street, is the setting for 4×4, a Saw-inspired take on income inequality from Argentine director Mariano Cohn. A petty thief named Ciro (Peter Lanzani) breaks into the car to steal the stereo, only to find himself trapped when the owner (Dady Brieva) — a medical doctor who has been victimized before and set this trap specifically for this purpose — locks the doors and disables the power remotely. (He can control the heat and air-conditioning, too.) The entire car is bullet- and soundproof, and the windows are tinted so no one can see inside. Ciro’s stuck forever.

It’s fun watching Ciro use all of his ingenuity to seek escape, and Lanzani does better at keeping us engaged than a lot of actors might with such thin material. Ciro and his captor communicate through the car’s audio system, allowing us to hear the doctor’s viewpoints, which are reinforced by the zero-tolerance actions of the fascistic neighborhood watch that we see patrolling the streets (Ciro is lucky they didn’t catch him). The movie doesn’t lose steam until we leave the vehicle in order to resolve the plot. As long as we’re confined to a small space (relatively speaking; those SUVs are pretty roomy) we’re caught in the thrill of Ciro’s struggle for survival.

(Screened at Fantastic Fest; release TBA)

Grade: B

1 hr., 30 min.; not yet rated

Join our mailing list! Follow us on Twitter! Write for us!
 
Facebook Twitter Google+
Eric D. Snider

Eric D. Snider

Eric D. Snider has been a film critic since 1999, first for newspapers (when those were a thing) and then for the internet. He was born and raised in Southern California, lived in Utah in his 20s, then Portland, now Utah again. He is glad to meet you, probably.

Subscribe to our Newsletter:
* indicates required
Trending
Apr 13th 9:00 AM
Looking Back

#ReleaseTheRussellCut: Where’s the Uncut Version of The Devils?

Apr 12th 9:00 AM
Looking Back

Roller Coaster of Love: Fear, 25 Years Later

Apr 14th 9:00 AM
Movies

When Two Cult Cable Comedies Stormed the Cineplex

Mar 11th 3:54 PM
Film Fests

REVIEW: Sci-Fi Thriller Level 16

Jul 26th 8:00 AM
Movies

REVIEW: Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood

Mar 26th 9:00 AM
Looking Back

Classic Corner: The Lady Eve

Mar 31st 11:00 AM
Movies

Remembering the Late-Night Cable Movie Discovery

Apr 7th 9:00 AM
Movies

“These Are Not Very Bright Guys”: The Lessons of All the President’s Men, 45 Years Later

Jul 29th 8:00 AM
Movies

Skateboarding Symbolism in The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Mar 16th 8:45 AM
Movies

Belle & Sebastian Go to the Movies

blank
cmpopcorn_white3.svg
  • Company
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Writers Guidelines
  • Members
    • Login
    • SignUp
    • Forums
telephone icon [email protected]
envelope icon [email protected]
© 2014-2020 Crooked™ Publishing
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
blankblank