Killing June is a locally produced film written and directed by Isaiah Corey with co writing credit going to Arne Bystrom. This crowd funded feature film which is an official selection of the Northwest Film Forum's "Local Sightings" film festival, stars Seattle resident Wonder Russell and Spokane native Nathan Pringle.
The Story:
After June (Russell), a perennial maker of to do lists, loses her only surviving relative, she decides to make one final list of things she has always wanted to do. Edwin Jones (Pringle) is a photographer who has just relocated to Seattle in search of employment. After the two meet and get to know each other, Edwin agrees to help June with her to do list even though he has reservations about what checking off the final box ultimately means.
The Review:
My first thought about Killing June is that it is a really fun, intimate, and creative look at two very different people who happen to meet during very pivotal points in their respective lives. The two leads are perfectly cast and have really great chemistry which is essential to the story working and having any sense of believability. I think in a more real world situation, Edwin may have run away from June pretty quickly, but there is a sort of fairy tale quality about the story that holds them together and you really get a sense that these two were destined to cross paths right at the exact moment that they do.
Semi Serious Disclaimer:
One thing I feel I have to say about this film is that, if you are a fan of stuffed animals and have an aversion to seeing them mutilated, stabbed, set on fire (see below), or otherwise disposed of in murderous fashion, this may not be the film for you. The scenes are graphic, violent, and at times brutal so please proceed with caution. Not sure if the inclusion of these scenes will have any impact on the film's rating.
And now back to the more serious portion of my review:
For anyone who lives in Seattle, watching this movie will also become a game of figuring out where each of the scenes were filmed, some of which I recognized right away and others were a little harder to identify. The fact that this film was made locally makes it that much more of a treat and it's great to see Seattle based film makers putting out a legitimate, quality product like this film.
The Verdict:
If you like movies that don't follow basic formulas or depend on predictable outcomes, then you will most likely enjoy the refreshing originality of Killing June. Wonder Russell and Nathan Pringle both do a great job of creating really likable characters that you want to see end up together in some fashion. Above all, please support local, independent film makers by watching movies like this and supporting crowd funding efforts whenever you can.
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