Watch Over Me (2014) – Review

30th April 2016

Blood and Grit take centre stage in Watch Over Me as a myserious drifter is given a chance for redemption when he crosses paths with as a woman on the wrong side of gang vengeance.

Watch Over Me at it’s core is nothing more than a formulaic tale of gang violence and a hero who feels responsible for the crimes he couldn’t prevent. Yet, it’s also equally refreshing to see a time honoured 90 min formula played out in 30 minutes. Our unknown protagonists backstory remains hidden until mid-way through and his motivation for appearing in this a crime ridden area of London remains hidden until the very last moments. Details are hard to come by and reveals happen at the perfect moments. What Watch Over Me proves is that this kind of simple violence still has a place in cinema, but only when used sparingly and at the correct moments. By not presenting itself for a full 90 minutes it doesn’t desensitise you to these moments and has no need to rely on the impossible or unbelievable to achieve and ever increasing awe factor to keep the viewer hooked.

Simon Pearce who is credited with direction, writing and editing this film does a fantastic job, with well thought out cuts and transitions. Although some of the choreography and editing could be improved to make some fights seem more realistic, it rarely detracts from the piece. Oliver Park who plays are unknown hero keeps his dialogue to a minimum which in this case is probably a good thing as both he and Adrian Bouchet (Dominic) appear slightly wooden and one-dimensional. Holly Georgia on the other hand who plays Emma shows a lot more emotion and delivers a much better performance than her co-stars.

At 30 minutes this is a highly entertaining and adrenaline filled film that could have dragged, but doesn’t. I fact I found it hard to take my eyes off the screen even for second as hooked as I was. Pearce clearly has a future in action and thrillers and I’m excited to see more from him. Watch Over Me is worth a watch as a short and definitely something I’d recommend if you’re looking for a half hour you won’t regret.

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