6:45 takes on one of the most fun and riskiest sub genres in horror. Time loop movies can be fun and add some intrigue, but they are also easy to do wrong and can quickly become nonsensical. The movie finds a troubled couple trying to save their relationship. When they arrive to the location of their dream vacation, they discover a deserted town. After a violent encounter, they wake up at 6:45 – every day.
Many movies in this vein take on a frantic nature. The antagonists are in an endless fight they have no hope of winning. 6:45 does have a similar feeling, but it brings something new; there is a feeling of suspense not normally found. With time loop films, the mystery is usually little more than trying to figure out what is going on and to solve that mystery in time before something cataclysmic happens. Even in horror movies that use the premise, the scares trump any tension.
6:45 goes all in on the tension to counter the more expected parts of the plot. This is seen best in a scene in which Bobby (Michael Reed) is trying to protect himself and Jules (Augie Duke). One way he decides to avoid the inevitable is to keep the two of them locked in their room in a nail biting sequence. It could be played strictly for terror, but it keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
Duke and Reed are great as the lead characters. Since the premise is a standard one, it would be easy for them to fall into caricatures. Instead, 6:45 writes them as normal, if not particularly fleshed out, characters that are interesting to watch. The supporting cast are little more than fodder, though. There is little backstory given to them. That being said, there is not much needed.
6:45 takes a familiar horror trope and never allows itself to become boring. The twists and red herrings will make sure audiences never stop paying attention. It also has some great scares and a spookier atmosphere that is usually found in these types of films. There are also some great scares and characters to ensure anyone watching is not wasting their time.
6:45 comes out August 6
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