Alan Moore and Mitch Jenkins have collaborated on a new psychological drama/thriller that attempts to beguile and intrigue viewers with a dreamlike scenario coupled with a film noir setup.
A detective who goes by many aliases investigates the death of an older “silver fox” and runs into many oddball characters along the way.
That’s the long and the short of it.
Let me cut to the chase and admit I think that while Moore is considered a god among many comic fans, I haven’t been especially impressed.
I dig Watchmen…but that’s about it.
And in interviews he comes across as an unrepentant ass.
This new film will not make any new fans of Moore, and I can’t imagine his most diehard supporters defending this film.
I’m being completely honest when I write that this is one of the worst films I’ve seen in years.
Astoundingly tedious, self-consciously quirky, pretentious and insanely overlong, The Show is a train wreck.
But not the fun kind á la The Room.
The film tips its hand with an “is it a dream or reality??” schtick early on.
Stunningly, the film never builds upon this premise and in fact boringly just follows suit to a dull ending.
Along the (LONG) way, we get to meet “quirky” characters such as Mr. Conquerer, played by an African American woman. How clever!
We also meet a wacky, wealthy superhero wannabe (I think?) who observes all the action on his laptop while wearing Aquabats headgear.
I stuck it out, hoping in vain for some cool payoff. It doesn’t happen, trust me. This is student film level philosophical filmmaking.
To clarify, this is BAD student film level philosophical filmmaking. With technical merits to match.
Sloppily edited, unevenly acted, pointless, endless and just plain bad, The Show should be avoided at all costs.
******
Produced by Jim Mooney, Mike Elliott, Tom Brown
Screenplay by Alan Moore
Directed by Mitch Jenkins
Tom Burke, Alan Moore, Ellie Bamber, Siobhan Hewlett, Sheila Atim, Darrell D’Silva, Christopher Fairbank,
Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Babou Ceesay, Richard Dillane, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Oaklee Pendergast
The Show will open in movie theaters nationwide for one night only on August 26, 2021
For ticket information visit www.FathomEvents.com
