Rhiannon Elizabeth Irons
It’s no secret that I love independent films. I have long history of supporting and producing independent films and filmmakers. So, when writer and director, Steve Wollett slid into my inbox with his independent feature, Jack Be Nimble, I added it to my watch list.
Before I get into the film, Steve was kind enough to give me some backstory as to how the movie came about. This was his first time writing and directing. This project turned his involvement in the film industry from hobby to something more tangible.
According to Steve, the story came from a night of drinking with friends. Discussions were taking place about what would they be doing when the ravages of age creep up on them. The conclusion was that they would end up in a nursing home together and still be playing tabletop games and that their dementia would help them to go on a quest to wipe out the demon overlords that ruled the facility.
Enough said. I was intrigued.
Released in 2022, Jack Be Nimble was filmed during the heights of the global pandemic. Filmed in just 11 days, the production found itself having to be moved after someone fell ill.
Starring Australian actor, Vernon Wells, alongside the captivating actress, Bai Ling, the story follows a group of tabletop gamer friends, now living in a retirement home, that come face to face with their own mortality as one of them becomes convinced that a soul-stealing demon is killing the residents.
Now, I’ll do my best to avoid spoilers, but there’s no guarantee so here is your official warning. There may be spoilers ahead.
Jack (Vernon Wells) is convinced that Nurse Edmond (Bai Ling) is a demon. He gets a bad vibe from her and when she’s the last person seen with a resident before they pass on, he can’t help but feel she is an angel of death.
He tells his suspicions to his friends during their game of Dungeons & Dragons, but like most people, they don’t believe him. A lot of them repeatedly mention his drinking habits, offering it up as an excuse for his wild stories.
Jack goes about his investigation on his own although now he’s unable to hide his erratic behaviour from the nursing home staff. When he tries to recruit his friends to help him with this real-life quest, they dismiss his accusations as being ramblings of a crazy man.
Fortunately for Jack, his friends realise that he is telling the truth and come to the rescue, using their D&D skills to vanquish the demon.
There are some issues that plague this feature. A lot can be overlooked considering the lack of budget and being a first-time feature. The dialogue at times can be quite clunky with exaggerated and forced delivery. The copious amount of cursing is not for everyone. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a mouth like a sailor, so I don’t mind the odd F-bomb in a feature, but this was bordering on a bit too much for me personally. It came across like lazy writing. I would be interested to see how much of the cursing was scripted verses adlibbed by the actors.
The drawn-out conclusion is also a bit of an issue. It felt as though the ending had no real direction and was just chaotic as Jack and the demon went back and forth about her quest for harvesting souls. It’s a bit of a jumbled mess that adds excessive moments that drag the runtime out considerably.
There are a few moments where the camera focus seems to blur the main character focus on the screen, highlighting a secondary character or someone who is not speaking at the time. The CGI at times is laughable, but I have a lot of leeway for this due to it being such a low budget picture.
But for all the negatives, there are some highlights to this indie feature. The character development for our core group of characters is solid. Audiences got the sense that these people had truly been friends for years. Special mention does go to Vernon Wells, who sells the character of Jack superbly, and Elizabeth Gribbon McCullough was excellent as Storm.
The setup of the demon manipulating her way through the facility desperately trying to complete her mission is also solid. Bai Ling brings a sense of humanity to the demonic entity. It’s not like she’s a bad person. She just has a mission to complete and will stop at nothing until it’s done.
The one location setup and the lack of gore was a pleasant surprise. Focusing on more suspense and humour as opposed to blood, guts, and gore, Jack Be Nimble excelled expectations. The one location allowed for more focus on the story and was utilized well.
Overall, Jack Be Nimble is a solid entry to the indie film catalogue. Despite the obvious flaws due to inexperience, there is a lot to like about this feature. The storyline is an interesting premise while the leading stars in Vernon Wells and Bai Ling are superb. It is engaging.
Steve Wollett is a writer/director to watch out for. His storytelling is unique. While his inexperience does show from time to time, the atmosphere he’s able to create lingers with you long after the movie has finished. And that is reason enough to look forward to his next project.
Rating 5/10
You can watch Jack Be Nimble on YouTube.