Categories: Movie

Cycles (Movie Review) | Conflict, Conversations, and Convergence…..

Hey, everyone! This is D. Movieman.
Fellow cinephile, popcorn 
addict, and emerging film critic
coming to you with reliable 
recaps, reviews, and reactions.
So, today I’m coming to you 
all with a review for “Cycles,”
written, directed, and 
produced by Oscar Wenman-Hyde,
and starring Henry Fisk and Henry Wilson.
Story-wise, the film is centered around a 
young man beginning his journey at university,
and officially moving into his dorm hall 
with the assistance of his older brother.
But in the midst of this process, 
the younger brother begins to
experience a sense of isolation and anxiety.
This then pushes him into an 
unexpected conversation/ argument
with his older brother, as they begin to confront
everything that has been left unsaid 
between them for many, many years.
So, I am going to start with my pros.
I really, really appreciated this project.
As I previously mentioned,
this film is written, directed, 
and produced by Oscar Wenman-Hyde.
We also have Cameron Fox as co-writer, 
and Luciano D’Amato as co-producer.
First, let me say that Oscar actually 
took the initiative to reach out,
and inquire about getting my thoughts 
on his film and giving this review.
So, that also means that this is my first time
getting a screener for anything, 
much less a request for a review.
But also just the fact that you 
were willing to seek me out,
and then request my feedback,
and that you wanted to hear my thoughts.
I really, really appreciate that,
and I absolutely do not take that

for granted.
So, first and foremost,
thank you for reaching out,
and thank you for the request.
Now, what immediately jumps out at me
with this film are the opening shots.
This film was shot over five days in Bristol.
And as soon as I saw the city, and
the buildings, and the streets,
I was instantly transported back a few years ago
when I visited the UK for the first time.
And immediately I was like oh
man like I missed it so much
and I just love those shots.
it just immediately brought me into our setting.
And beyond just having a personal connection to it
and a personal appreciation for it,
I love that it really set the
scene for what we get afterwards.
Our central setting of course is this dorm room,
so I thought the opening shots were
a really nice juxtaposition to that.
I think it really helped emphasize the
claustrophobic nature of the setting,
especially with our main characters,
in contrast to the openness
of the city and the streets,
and then we have everything being
confined to these four walls.
Which also connects to our main character
feeling like the walls are literally closing in.
So immediately, I love the subtext of that
being emphasized already with the setting.
So I have said this plenty of
times in different reviews.
What I love about independent filmmaking,
and filmmaking with lower budgets
is that it really forces you to
look outside just the aesthetics
and the visual nature of filmmaking.
And it pushes you to really
dig deeper into the subtext
and the foundation of the story that’s being told.
This particular film was made for less than £1000,
and I think it is absolutely
keeping with that theme
of allowing the story, and the dialogue,
and the performances to carry the film overall.
And I really appreciate the
simplicity of the film narratively,
and the message that it’s emphasizing.
So, to give a little background,
the inspiration for this film
came from Oscar’s own personal
experiences at university.
Trying to adjust, trying to fit in, trying
to settle into this new environment.
I can definitely relate.
I remember my own experience at college,
and although it wasn’t negative,
it still was a lot to adjust to.
Especially when you get used to your mom, and
your family, and being at home, and your friends.
You get used to a certain
environment, so all of a sudden,
it’s like, “What is this?”
But then in addition to that,
making it through the experience
of university, and graduating, and going forward,
and still having those feelings of
pressure, of loneliness, and isolation
still tug at you even though
you’ve made it through.
You know, you’ve stayed the
course and you’ve made it,
but those things are still lingering with you.
I can absolutely relate to that as well.
I am still in a place where
I’m trying to figure out
what the future is supposed to look like.
And trying to make sure I’m
making the right choices,
but still being very unsure and being
somewhat of a nervous and
sometimes anxious person.
Just trying to have hope and trying to believe,
but still feeling just very shaky
about what life can be going forward.
And I loved how narratively
the film is highlighting that,
because that is a very
important message to hone in on,
and it’s something that really doesn’t
get talked about as much as it should.
I do believe that having films
like this can absolutely jump-start
conversations about life, about
expectations, mental health,
depression and anxiety, feeling pressure, etc.
Whether it’s from society, from our families,
or even if it’s just coming from ourselves.
And as Oscar himself said, learning
how to confront those feelings,
and give voice to those
feelings and not hide from them.
And along with the story, we have the
performances from Henry Fisk and Henry Wilson
that are allowing us to dive
head first into those feelings.
I think one of my favorite dynamics to explore,
really in any medium, is the
dynamic between siblings.
Sometimes it’s sibling rivalry.
Sometimes it’s the unconditional
support and love of a sibling,
and sometimes it’s the lens through
which one sibling views the other.
A lot of times the perception you
can have of someone in your life,
even when you’ve grown up in the same household,
is nowhere near what you would think.
There are all kinds of roles and
positions that siblings can be placed in,
and many different ways in which their lives
as a part of the same family can play out.
I very recently had the opportunity to see
“Good Luck To You, Leo Grande,”
at the Sundance Film Festival.
And that film, similar to this one, is literally
about two people just having conversations.
And I have grown to really
appreciate those type of films
because of what they have to say.
I also have to include “One Night
In Miami” in that conversation.
Although in that case, it’s four people,
and the framework is with these four
legendary black figures in history.
Yet and still, in all three projects we are
really diving into these characters ideologies.
The way that they perceive life,
and what’s even disrupted their
lives in very unexpected ways.
And similarly to those films, I think that
is where this film comes alive as well.
All right. Now I’m going to jump over to the cons.
To be honest, I don’t have many.
My first thought is that in very specific moments,
I think it would have been
nice to see a few cutaways.
I don’t think it’s something
that needed to be overused,
but I think it would have been
nice to see with certain characters
when they’re describing
very specific circumstances.
For instance, when the older
brother is sharing his experience
in having a discussion with
his mother about marriage,
and how that actually goes
a very specific way for him.
I thought it would have been nice to jump to
the moment that the character is describing,
and see just his reaction to that as it’s
happening, and as he’s describing it.
I think doing that would have centered
their emotions in that past experience,
while also juxtaposing it with this
very present, current
recollection of that experience.
And then maybe thinking about a theme of movement,
I think it would have been nice to see
the characters slowly move
out of their environment.
I think that would have been
a really interesting parallel.
As they start, everything is very closed up.
Everything is very walled, like the dorm room.
But then as they begin to have the conversations,
and they are unlocking all these truths,
and all these moments, and all these feelings,
then they start to slowly move outwards
in the same way that they’re
moving outwards emotionally,
if that makes sense even.
If it was just us closing things out
with us seeing them outside
again, and outside the dorm hall,
I think that would have been a really nice touch
to just bring everything full circle again.
So, I’m going to give “Cycles” a B -.
I really do appreciate this film.
I appreciate everything that it is saying.
I appreciate the heart behind it.
And even everything I’ve said is with respect
to the vision that was established here.

But beyond that I personally
can relate to the material,
and even if I didn’t, I think there is such
an impactful aspect of this
story that is being emphasized.
And I really, really appreciate that.
And with all that being said,
Oscar, as you’re watching this…..
I hope that you continue to take your
passion in telling stories like this,
and shedding light with topics like this,
and as you continue onward, just
know that you have a supporter in me.
And I am more than excited to see you continue on,
and do even bigger and
greater things in filmmaking.
“Cycles” will be released on
Amazon Prime February 28th.
You guys feel free to check it out when it drops,
leave your thoughts below,
and let me know what you think.
So once again, this is D. Movieman…..
Signing off, and I’ll see you at the movies.
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sam

Conten writer at FlipReview who specialise in Gadgets review, food critics, app and games review, car and bike review, book reviews, movies reviews, tv-series reviews and many more.

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