Loop Track (2023)

I had Loop Track recommended to me a week or two ago, and actually managed to make some time for it already (unlike the hundred other recommendations from people that have been added to my ever-growing "to watch" list over the years). I'm glad I did, but I am also pleasantly surprised that this worked for me as well as it did. There's a twist here that will absolutely divide viewers, but I ended up being someone who loved it.

Ian is on a hike through some New Zealand woodlands. He wants to avoid other people, needing some time to himself, but that isn't going to happen. Despite his obvious reluctance, the permanently upbeat Nicky (Hayden J. Weal) decides to join him for a while, subsequently introducing them both to Danielle (Noa Campbell) and Austin (Tawanda Manyimo). The more time he spends with these people, the more paranoid and anxious Ian gets. Is there some real reason for him to be so worried, or is he just on the edge of a full mental breakdown?

Written and directed by Thomas Sainsbury, who also stars as Ian, this is an enjoyable psychological thriller, for the most part, that constantly moves between moments of dark comedy and cringe-inducing social awkwardness. It's not a film for those who are impatient, and that applies to pacing and characters who aren't able to work on what others will see as major issues. It's a well-made oddity though, and one that keeps building a great atmosphere of unease and ambiguity until the third act.

Sainsbury is perhaps best known to people for his writing work on Wellington Paranormal, but he shows here that he has been developing his craft and confidence throughout the past decade. Loop Track isn't the kind of film that can accommodate any weaknesses, either behind or in front of the camera, and Sainsbury fully backs himself, for better or worse.

The performances are particularly good, with our lead being a sweaty and anxious mess for most of the runtime in a way that will have viewers constantly on the verge of giving up on him. It's the sympathetic and kind treatment that he receives from other characters that keeps you onside, right up until the point when things take a sudden lurch sideways. Campbell and Manyimo are both very good, but Weal gets to have the most fun, playing the kind of person who would see the silver lining in every cloud-filled situation, and his unbridled cheeriness manages to make up for the dour and nervy Ian.

While not exactly spectacular when it comes to the sound and visuals, everything is clean and clear, and there's great use of the contrast between areas of nature that are bathed in sunlight and those that are hidden away in the shadows. There are also some wonderful practical effects, designed and shot in a way that almost feels 3D at times, and those who are happy to go with the flow should find themselves as pleasantly surprised and impressed as I was.

8/10

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