Chariot explores two themes that people have grappled with since the beginning of time. Love and death are ideas that constantly appear in song, literature, and cinema. Writer-director Adam Sigal’s film is about a specialist named Dr. Karn (John Malkovich) who guides patients through reincarnation. When he encounters a glitch in the system, he must fix the issue before ruining the future.
It is a heady premise that takes on emotions and concepts that are feared and embraced. At least that is what it sounds like. Instead, Chariot keeps things easy for the audience. The story does not try to have any deep ruminations on love or present another way to look at death. The chapter titles that dutifully explain exactly what the film is saying is proof of that.
A movie does not have to make a person reexamine their look on life to be entertaining, however. Sigal populates the movie with off the wall characters. Some are more interesting than others, but they do keep Chariot from getting stale. There are also some fun set pieces, including an opening that takes place in a previous century.
The story has a tendency to become disjointed, however. Chariot introduces more ideas than it is capable of handling. Even though death is a seemingly major part of the story, even it gets relegated to the background for much of the film. There is a large portion that seems to get caught up in being as odd as possible. It makes for some silly moments, but it gives things an uneven feel.
Saban Films will release the thriller Chariot in theaters, On Demand and Digital on April 15th
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