HIGH FLYING BIRD (2018)

Steven Soderbergh filmed his previous movie with an iPhone. It worked, because the uncommon visual style complimented the tense atmosphere and the characters' odd behaviour. While HIGH FLYING BIRD (which shows an agent pitching his rookie basketball client) isn't a psychological thriller and therefore didn't need to be shot in the same way, it doesn't really distract. Partly because there aren't enough close-ups to highlight the unusual depth of field. No, that's not the area in which the movie suffers. Tarell Alvin McCraney's script feels like this was meant to be a play rather than a movie. His previous script was in fact written to be a play, but then Barry Jenkins re-wrote it so it could work as a movie and the result was excellent. That's what Steven should've done. Instead, he tries to overcome the staleness by using all kinds of angles in the same scene, but it's not enough. Too bad that flaws like these overshadow performances that aren't bad and some satirical lines that pack a punch. Here's a drinking game: Take a shot every time a character says "lockout."

4/10
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