Jay Rohr
Crumb Catcher presents an intriguing mess. The central premise of this thriller carries a lot of potential. However, pacing problems waste too much of its well-earned tension. What results is a trail of crumbs leading away from a better movie.
The story centers on newlyweds Shane and Leah, played by Rigo Garay and Ella Rae Peck. It’s obvious in the first few minutes this is a doomed marriage. Embarking on their honeymoon, simmering stress starts to boil over until the arrival of an unexpected visitor interrupts. John, an annoying waiter from their wedding reception, has tracked the couple down, primarily in hopes of getting them to invest in his invention, the titular crumb catcher. It quickly becomes clear this irritating fellow isn’t going anywhere and will stop at nothing to get investors for his curious contraption.
Crumb Catcher really benefits from its odd premise. It takes the palpable tension in Shane and Leah’s relationship then injects the increasingly unhinged presence of the annoying John. It’s like jamming a stick between the spokes of a runaway bike. What could easily be comedy becomes creepy. The problem, though, is that the movie fails to maintain a captivating pace.
Instead of riding the lightning, Crumb Catcher tries to draw out certain moments. This doesn’t work to the film’s advantage. Rather than heating up the boiler, it loses steam. This pattern of escalation then deflation prevents the movie from ever feeling taut.
It’s a shame because the performances typically hit the right tones. Rigo Garay (Blackout) adeptly portrays a young person ill at ease as his life moves towards a discomforting future. That he’s facing a life he doesn’t necessarily want but doesn’t have the nerve to say no to is clear in his performance. Ella Rae Peck plays Leah as a firecracker increasingly sick of popping off yet determined to stay the unsteady course she’s taken. This is an intense person who, thinking they were on the same page, hitched her wagon to a listless star.
John’s partner in crime is Rose, played by Lorraine Farris (Follow Her). She comes across more directly dangerous than her husband at least until things really get out of hand. That’s when Farris follows an ill-advised script that changes her into a screaming, panicky mess. Although the performance is good, the character direction feels oddly off. While Rose remains relevant to the plot, it almost seems like the writers didn’t really know what to do with her.
Meanwhile, John Speredakos (The Mind’s Eye) as John is captivatingly irritating. There’s a wonderful subtlety in his mannerisms and facial expressions, especially when the annoyed couple blurt out information changing his appraisal of the situation. Though Speredakos always provides some degree of sinister, his portrayal of the character is, even when dangerous, an uninvited guest who simply won’t take a hint. His desperate, pathetic demeanor, especially while pitching his idiotic crumb catcher, is a recipe for things to surely go wrong.
Crumb Catcher often expertly shows a shift in character actions while remaining true to their personalities. John becoming less comically annoying and more perilously unhinged is thriller 101. However, the perception of Leah’s flinty personality shifts as she starts aggressively resisting the increasingly hazardous situation. What initially might seem like a bossy person becomes a take charge individual as she strives to seize control.
I say what might seem because Crumb Catcher also does a marvelous job of showing that neither Shane nor Leah is bad. They’re simply tragically mismatched, and the ways their personalities don’t connect create tension and misperceptions. Leah, for instance, can seem controlling because Shane is painfully indecisive. Yet, he’s hardly innocent when it comes to mucking up their marriage. Watching that drama unfold as quickly as it does is, sadly, another sign Crumb Catcher needed to move faster. Its performers and plot establish matters speedily enough that any lingering is wasting time.
Perhaps that’s why, as the film nears the end, Crumb Catcher ditches steady escalation for sharp turns. Rather than reaching a boiling point things simply explode. Yet, there have been plenty of moments earlier when matters could’ve gone into another gear. The result is a movie that audiences can watch while doing some other chore, pausing to return when the dialogue or actions are clearly compelling. Certain Crumb Catcher scenes stand out more than others, especially towards the end of the film.
This is the directorial debut for Chris Skotchdopole. And there’re several instances of cinematic stylization to be proud of it. For example, during one clever scene where things are spirally out of hand, an orbiting camera speeds up in increasingly nauseating circles around all involved. Skotchpodole also captures a visual sense of distance as well as impending doom whether it’s between the crumbling couple or something as seemingly simple as John approaching the house again.
Based on a story by Skotchdopole, Rigo Garay, and Larry Fessenden, Crumb Catcher comes courtesy of Glass Eye Pix. This independent film company is the brainchild of horror auteur Larry Fessenden. Perhaps best known for Habit (1995) and Until Dawn (2015), this suspenseful take on the pursuit of the American Dream is the kind of novel notion one wants to get behind. It’s not a recycled slasher story or rebooted nostalgia bait. Yet, the commendable nature of a fresh idea can only carry a film so far.
Crumb Catcher is a thriller in need of tighter bolts. Though the movie doesn’t fall apart, it never gets into the gear it needs for the tautness that would make it outstanding. John Speredakos is pitch perfect throughout the film, and writer-director Chris Skotchdopole steers this voyage of the damned admirably. Those looking for something different won’t mind this suspense story during second-screening. But a change of pace is, oddly enough, all Crumb Catcher is good for.
