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Where Sleeping Dogs Lie

Written by: Josh Pierson |   Directed by: Josh Pierson |  Genre: Action / Crime

 Slow and steady shots of a man sitting in a greasy spoon, ranting away on the most excellent ideal of America are where this title starts us off. Much like some very familiar movies most of us have seen, it’s very clear Where Sleeping Dogs Lie is going to be heavily stylized. The man, Jeff ( Jesse Janzen ) is joined by another as he sips and eats away his breakfast and coffee; he has a debt to pay and if Jeff can’t come up with the large sum of money, things won’t turn out so well.  Luckily there’s Jeff’s girlfriend Tracy ( Jillian Rohrbach ) who has some very relevant information. Her husband, yes, you read that right, has a large sum of money hidden away. Enough to solve all Jeff’s problems and possibly, a little more. All Jeff has to do is get it. With the help of his brother Barry ( Dustin Miller ) and friend Tim ( Tommy Koponen ) the three set out on what should be an easy score.

  Things are never easy in the movies, and such is the case here. Right away things are not going as planned, the husband says there is no money. Obviously. But is there really none? The beatings are not working, the safe is pretty much empty and now the husband is missing his toe. By the way, that’s not all. People dying ( by accident haha ) is just the start of this twisty, turny adventure.  Where Sleeping Dogs Lie has a lot of dark humor, but doesn’t skimp on even darker content. You think you know where this movie is going exactly? Think again.

  Knowing this was a micro budget title, I didn’t expect a whole lot going in. But to my surprise, what I got turned out to be pretty freakin’ good. The acting was much better than I thought it would be and to be honest, a lot of this movie I forgot I was watching a micro budget independent film. I’m not saying that everything was perfect, but I had no real issues staying focused on the story being told.  The color grade and edit are what make this movie look like a noir type title, and the use of practical effects, especially felt really fun and refreshing. Yup. I said fun. Where Sleeping Dogs Lie is not a fluffy, family adventure. But it also sometimes feels like one because of the pacing, gags, and general feel. But by the end of the film, my smile was wiped away. That’s for sure. Things twist, turn, and get out of hand.

  The things I look for in a movie were all here. I don’t mean what I look for in a micro movie, I mean what I look for in any movie. The characters in this film are far from perfect, nobody is really instantly likable, and that’s just what makes it a good film to watch. It’s real and gritty, even through some of the funnier moments. This film never loses its grit. Where Sleeping Dogs Lie is recommended material in my books. Thank you for reading.

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