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Cast: Jadin Gould, Julie Carlson, Toby Huss, Brooke Vallone, Johnny Pacar
It's July 4th 2000 and little Jesse is having her 9th birthday, you sense she doesn't have any friends since it seems only her mother and father will be there to help her celebrate it. Her mom gives her a cell phone for her special day so that she won't feel so only on her walk to school in the mornings but Jesse never does get the chance too use the phone as her mom dies in an accident while in their swimming pool. Nine years later Jesse finds her old cell phone and decides to dial her old number but the girl that answers seems to be doing the same things as Jesse did nine years before.
This is probably all you should know about this science-fiction thriller before seeing it so not to ruin what takes place. Independent cinema always seems to come up with fresh ideas, I suppose a lot has to do with limited budgets and in order to create something people will watch you must have an interesting story to replace what will be missing special effects wise and Cryptic is a pure example of how good a film like this can be if written and directed the right way without having a big budget. The idea of changing the past by using your voice is a clever one to say the least. The story works on many levels, it is a simple story on the outside but a bit more complicated on the inside, a mystery that keeps you engaged and always wanting more as you hang on and wait to see what happens next. Writers/Directors, Danny Kuchuck and John Weiner do a great job at keeping the pace moving while keeping you on the edge of your seat. Another thing I found special about this film was it's cast, Julie Carlson as the teen Jessie and Jadin Gould as the younger one both give strong and powerful performances, I really hope to see more of these two young talents in the future. The supporting cast as also terrific. The production was very good considering the low-budget, to make a film like this without using any effects is risky but once you see it you will agree the film is better off without them because it forces you to focus more on the story and characters. The mystery,drama and suspense fit nicely with the science fiction plot and the twists and turns introduced along the way really pulls you into the story and never lets you go till the very end. There has been similar themed films before but all those relied too much on other things which ended up being a distraction, the budget Cryptic had not only gave it a more simple feel but made it a much more intelligent film to watch. I started off as and still do support Independent cinema but thanks to film's like Cryptic I quickly became a fan as well. If you're a fan of science-fiction thrillers then you are not going to want to miss out on seeing this one. At some point towards the end of the movie I thought it was over but to my surprise and delight it wasn't quite finished yet and the ending I thought was perfect, it closed out a gem of film that I highly recommend checking out. you can order Cryptic and many other great titles at R Square Films website HERE.
Released by R Square Films
**** Out Of *****