This week\u2019s low-profile VOD releases feature men of action under attack in hotel and apartment buildings, freak weather patterns that bring flying cash and personal revelations, and a fake Japanese glam band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plastic<\/em><\/strong> (Metrograph at Home October 4):<\/strong> This Japanese drama starts out as a cute teen romance between two high schoolers who bond over their shared love for an obscure 1970s glam-rock band, before making an abrupt shift around the 40-minute mark. It\u2019s jarring to jump immediately from the couple\u2019s first kiss to the deterioration of their relationship a year later, but director Daisuke Miyazaki is interested in how their connection changes over time, with their passion for fictional band Exne Kedy as their constant guide. The story makes further leaps over the course of five years, as dedicated student Ibuki (An Ogawa) and aspiring musician Jun (Takuma Fujie) move from high school into college and jobs, all while dealing with the pandemic. It\u2019s low-key and charming, driven by songs from musician Kensuke Ide, which sound like they could be from a long-lost \u201970s masterpiece. The later segments, with Ibuki and Jun largely kept apart, are never as satisfying as the early giddy romance, but that\u2019s the way it goes in real life, too. Grade: B<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Take Cover<\/em><\/strong> (VOD and select theaters October 4):<\/strong> Veteran B-movie action star Scott Adkins is great at close-quarters fighting, so it\u2019s slightly frustrating that he\u2019s cast as a sniper, someone whose missions rely on keeping still and waiting. After a fatal act of hesitation on a job, covert assassin Sam Lorde (Adkins) decides that he\u2019s going to retire after one final assignment. Of course, Sam and his spotter partner Ken (Jack Parr) then find themselves under fire in their luxury hotel room, and the majority of the movie takes place in that high-rise suite, as Sam and Ken look for the painfully obvious answer to the question of who set them up. When Adkins gets to cut loose in hand-to-hand combat against various henchmen, the results are thrilling, but the movie spends far too much time on tedious exposition and shallow characterization \u2014 including a possible record for uses of the word \u201cbro.\u201d Sam\u2019s late-breaking moral dilemma about his profession makes far less of an impact than the infrequent flurries of kicks and punches. Grade: C+<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Veil<\/em><\/strong> (VOD October 4):<\/strong> The spooky atmosphere carries this somewhat baffling supernatural drama about a reclusive, retired priest who takes in a scared Amish woman on the run. It all takes place during a weather phenomenon that bathes everything in an eerie green light, and possibly bends time and space. At his isolated home in the woods, Douglas (Sean O\u2019Bryan) is interrupted overnight by the arrival of Hannah (Rebekah Kennedy), who claims that she\u2019s evading her abusive husband. There\u2019s more going on than that, though, as Douglas starts to experience what seems to be a time loop or alternate reality, with possible threats lurking in the woods. Writer-director Cameron Beyl opts for creepy vibes over concrete explanations, which lessens the power of the semi-twist ending. Even if the story doesn\u2019t come together, the performances are strong, and the themes of regret and second chances come through effectively. Douglas may not understand what\u2019s happening any better than the audience does, but both are left with a vague sense of closure. Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n