Film Review - Alarum
January 15, 2025
Director Michael Polish has been stuck in B-movie mode for quite some time, working with tiny budgets to make action entertainment (“Force of Nature,” “Terror on the Prairie”) and ridiculous dramas (“American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally”). He’s even tried a faith-based picture on for size (“90 Minutes in Heaven”). Nothing’s caught fire, and his streak of dour, lifeless features is sustained in “Alarum,” which is Polish’s attempt to create a spy game highlighting double-crossing characters, twitchy government figures, and violent encounters. There’s promise in the endeavor’s first act, setting up a plan of action following elusive personalities, but once details start coming into the effort, screenwriter Alexander Vesha gets lost. “Alarum” has sequences of mayhem, but they’re limited, as the offering prefers to deal with conversational and confrontational moments, which Polish can’t turn into riveting cinema. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
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