Flashburn concerns the misadventures of Wes, a dude that finds himself behind the wheel of a crashed pick-up truck located within the confines of a warehouse in a disease ravaged dystopian future. Ol’ Wes soon finds out he can not leave the structure, and that he has been brought here for a purpose; to devise a cure for the virus that is currently kicking humanity’s ass up and down the hall. As our yarn unspools Wes must contend with regaining his memory (he was a fancy-schmancy scientist type before becoming America’s favorite warehouse prisoner), finding a cure, discovering his ties to the virus, and dealing with the enigmatic ‘Lazarus’ who imprisoned him.
I went into Flashburn expecting a low-budget thriller with some sci-fi trappings thrown on top (you know, the type of shit that seems to replicate by osmosis on SyFy channel), but I found myself pleasantly surprised. While the film may not have cost as much as Ye Olde Hollywood Blockbuster, it certainly looks great, with a kinetic energy to it’s shot composition, and the story moves quick enough, with a good sense of tension and mounting, engaging mystery. The acting is also solid, with Sean Patrick Flanery turning in a fine, multi-layered performance as our hero Wes.
The negatives with Flashburn are few and far between, and mostly related to that nefarious budget mentioned up yonder. This flick is a more intimate affair then you may guess when you hear mention of a world in the death grip of a pandemic and shadowy figures operating under a miasma of mystery…the number of actors and locations is limited, and there are some telltale signs of “the cheaps” including CG muzzle flash, but the film makers do attempt to open up the world a bit here and there, and those efforts do help…and hell, none of that ever hurt Night of the Living Dead…but ultimately this isn’t as entertaining as that flick from which comparisons are inevitable (small cast, limited locations, the end of humanity as we know it…)
If your looking for a decent “end of humanity” affair with an added element of mystery and decent suspense and action, then you could do much worse than giving Flashburn a go!
For more on Flashburn head here.
