10 METRES

2012 / Director. Rory Noke.

10 METRES might be a microbudget film but to call it one is an injustice to its quality. This smart, fast-paced thriller is proof that a good movie simply needs a good story, competent acting and smart direction. Were a Hollywood studio to attempt this with a multi million dollar budget they would only end up with the same movie, albeit with a big name draw card. Shot on the streets of Melbourne the story hits the ground running (literally) with a university student, Scotty,  being drugged in a campus mens-room and waking up sitting at a desk during an exam. The notes in front of him declare that a bomb is wired to the inside of his jacket. A red light is attached to his collar and should it light up, the bomber can detonate it. With a 10 metre safeguard distance between the bomb and the detonator Scotty takes off and keeps running in search of help. With the bomber keeping up behind the pace is set for a nail-biting and thoroughly captivating chase movie. Director Rory Noke has executed this so well. He clearly has an affection for the genre and with a tight budget (next to nothing) he has relied on his smarts to carry it to the end. Channelling influences from films like Run Lola Run, Nick of Time and The Bourne Identity 10 METERS plays out like Speed: The Pedestrian Edition. The editing is tight. The music is gripping and the photography is controlled. I imagine a lot of excess fat was trimmed in the editing room because everything we are presented with on screen is necessary. With an 85 minute running time and a constant break-neck pace there is hardly anything dragging this flick down. Half way into the movie I kept trying to work out where I had seen these two lead actors before. Their faces were very familiar and then it clicked. They had their own tv series called Stefan & Craig. And so that explained the excellent dynamics. They've been a collaborative team previously and their chemistry was already well established. Stefan had also been a reporter for Live on Bowen and so I should have picked him earlier. This is a ripper movie. Find it and see it. 

---