In crime movies, sometimes criminals catch a break and come out on top. Sometimes criminals have their moment of gratification, but their lives steadily unravel to the point of being caught or until they draw their final breath. In the darkly comedic crime thriller Fate Alchemy, writer-director Ace Blankenship documents the lives of three friends who, after a life-altering act of negligence, must confront the trickling effects.
“Hourglass has trickled down to the last of its sand. Final grain is making its inevitable collision with the present.” This is a line spoken by a gun-wielding intruder who’s in the process of interrogating a weeping hostage about the whereabouts of Jamie. But this line also speaks to the heart of Blankenship’s mournful tale of circumstance and fate. The characters struggle to outrun their dour circumstances, and watching them flounder, persevere, and then flounder again is at times suspenseful and other times humorous.
Blankenship goes from an ominous interrogation to a wild scene at a party. This is before any of the characters are confronted by immediate danger and are basking in the transient euphoria of being among friends and partners.
The next day, viewers are introduced to the garrulous, mildly brash, and charming Beck (Tweed Manning). Through voice-over, Beck describes his relationship with his girlfriend, Layla (Savanna James), and how, despite their frequent spats, they have a deep, enduring connection. Last night was all fun and games. But today, Beck, Stevie (Jeffrey Jordan), and Jamie (Ken Blankenship) are planning to purchase 18 grams of LSD.
“Last night was all fun and games. But today, Beck, Stevie, and Jamie are planning to purchase 18 grams of LSD.”
Before anything illicit or questionable occurs, Blankenship focuses on the three friends and their personalities. Beck is charismatic and cocky, as opposed to the eccentric and naïve Stevie and the more coolheaded Jamie. Their clashing personalities provide snippets of comedy, both physical and verbal. Admittedly, some comedic bits pan out better than others. One of the better attempts is a flashback of Beck and his friends going door-to-door, attempting to sell fraudulent pills. A lesser comedic attempt involves Stevie making a move on his crush, a segment that felt out of place considering what the characters had just gone through.
Blankenship gives us an idea of how the characters handle stressful situations (or avoid them altogether). It all leads to a drug deal that goes south quickly and unpredictably, making for some amusing scenes as the men — played excellently by Manning, Jordan, and Blankenship —frantically exchange words and plans.
The crew is comically propelled from one bad situation to the next as if fate is their true enemy. But that’s not to say Blankenship neglects to exploit the mounting dread. With the assistance of Carly Robinson’s turn as a menacing, sharp-tongued antagonist, there are clearly drawn stakes. Blankenship captures the lingering effect of dread with a finale that, while rushed in areas, is elevated by a series of factors — Manning’s performance, slow motion/distortion effects, and Pam Taylor’s cover of “House of the Rising Sun.”
While there are instances where Blankenship undercuts the tension with comedy, he devises a fast pace (with Christian Sales as co-editor) and a sensible payoff reinforcing the themes of fate, regret, and cruelty. At one point, Beck says, “There’s little we can do now,” a line both frightening and comforting as sometimes there isn’t anything we can do but wait and see how everything plays out.
For screening information, visit the Fate Alchemy official website.
