Calibre

An erratic yet effective thriller, Calibre follows old friends Vaughn (Jack Lowden) and Marcus (Martin McCann) as they head to an isolated Scottish Highlands village for a weekend of relaxing and hunting – with the movie detailing the problems that ensue after an accidental moment of violence forces the pals to cover their tracks. It’s a familiar premise that is, at the outset, employed to underwhelming effect by first-time filmmaker Matt Palmer, as the writer/director delivers an opening stretch that’s riddled with elements of an almost unreasonably clichéd nature – with this especially noticeable in the portrayal of the picture’s various characters. (Lowden and McCann are, for example, trapped within the confines of, respectively, a quiet, meek family man and a brash, loudmouthed finance jerk, while the town’s myriad of denizens generally come off as suspicious and aggressive.) It’s subsequently not surprising that the narrative’s tense moments aren’t as impactful as Palmer has surely intended, although, by that same token, there’s little doubt that the movie improves substantially once it reaches a fairly specific point – with Calibre‘s propulsive and fairly engrossing third act ensuring that the whole thing ends on a far more satisfying (and grim) note than one might’ve anticipated. The end result is a hit-and-miss endeavor that works in spite of Palmer’s less-than-fresh approach to the hoary material, with the movie’s more effective (and affecting) moments ultimately compensating for its smattering of almost eye-rollingly stale attributes.

*** out of ****