Calibre

Released 22nd June 2018, Calibre follows two friends who go up to remote Scotland for what proves to be a fateful hunting trip. The events of the narrative strike the themes of responsibility, friendship, grief and honesty; these themes are all conveyed really well through the quantities cast who all have defining traits and natural interactions. There is also a sublime growth of tension through the narrative which never ceases and subsequently sustains the audience engagement through the second and third act. Jack Lowden is truly fantastic as the protagonist Vaughn with the numerous layers he is able to instil into his character. He is able to be lofty early in the narrative, discomforted and mourning at other points and is able to illustrate a dynamic psych shift near the end of the film.

That said, the actions of the penultimate scenes seem to trail off in the final scene which makes the impact a bit softened. Everyone else are also exceptional in the cast; Martin McCann does a great job as Vaughn’s best friend Marcus. He performs the role with a suitable edge to his mannerisms and the ways he chooses the speak to the locals in the rural area. Kate Bracken’s Iona served as a pleasant friend who conveys how friendly Vaughn is and how he is able to have casual friendships; she greatly contrasts Kitty Lovett’s Kara who highlights the negative interactions Marcus has. Tony Curran also gives a superb performance as Logan, the most respected and authoritative of the locals. Logan is able to keep himself collected throughout the narrative in spite of various misfortunes and confrontations presented in front of him; he also tries to look out for Vaughn and Marcus by acting as a middle-man between the insiders and outsiders.

While no notable visual effects were used, the cinematography is done in a manner that emphasises how expansive the remote area really is and subsequently consolidates how distant it is from any form of urban life. While not overtly memorable, the soundtrack was sufficient in sustaining the tone of the scenes and did nothing particularly wrong. Overall, Calibre has a strong narrative with intriguing characters that keep the audience engaged through a palpable tension from the second act onwards.