Reports about similar militia outbreaks, such as at the cemetery, surprise them. After they complete an inventory of their arsenal of firearms and explosives, they come up short one AR-15. The leader of the militia, Ford (Chris Mulkey of “Ghost in the Machine”), contacts Gannon and five others about a rendezvous at a lumber warehouse in the boondocks. Actor James Badge Dale delivers a spellbinding performance. He emerges from his trailer and listens to the distant crackle of gunfire. Gannon is the first militia member we see. Gradually, we learn more about Gannon as well as his momentous decision to quit the police after fellow officers pressured him to kill a suspect to reassure them about his loyalty. He hunts wildlife for game, cooks it, and lives the life of a recluse. One of the militia members is a former profiler, Gannon (James Badge Dale of “13 Hours”), who left the force and sought serenity in the wilderness. Not surprisingly, the suspense and tension that “Standoff” generates rivals similar low-budget features such as “Reservoir Dogs” and “The Usual Suspects.” Happily, he has done a praiseworthy job of paring the story down to its absolute, essential components. Throughout imaginative, white-knuckled, 89 minutes, writer & director Dunham sidesteps material which would have made this nail-biter not only formulaic but also predictable. Ultimately, Dunham shuns pyrotechnical spectacles until the police and the militia clash briefly during the dramatic final quarter. Moreover, Dunham doesn’t complicate this above-average thriller with arguments either for or against militia as much as contemplate the anomalous individuals who drum up reasons to join these fringe groups.
Indeed, the subject matter of an anti-government militia is as relevant to audiences as today’s headlines. Apart from some trifling plot contrivances, “The Standoff at Sparrow Creek” is tense, exciting, and surprise-laden. Despite its all-male, all-white cast, “Standoff” benefits from Dunham’s strong, forceful helming, his snappy dialogue, and lenser Jackson Hunt’s sinister cinematography. When fellow militia members assemble after the fracas, they cannot account for one missing fully-automatic AR-15 assault rifle in their illicit arsenal at a remote lumber warehouse. Miraculously, not only does the charmed individual who perpetrated this attack elude authorities, but he also makes it back to his militia outfit without a scratch. Trouble flares up suddenly when an anonymous individual in combat garb shoots up a police funeral, and the men in blue suffer multiple casualties. Basically, “Standoff” focuses on an anti-government militia group under police scrutiny, and law enforcement’s mounting concern about their trigger-happy membership.
Mind you, little about this gripping, provocative melodrama qualifies as conventional. Initially, “Militia” served as the preproduction title, but Dunham may have rejected it as too conventional.
The title of writer & director Henry Dunham’s feature film debut “The Standoff at Sparrow Creek” (*** OUT OF ****) is reminiscent of the classic John Sturges paranoid conspiracy thriller “Bad Day at Black Rock” (1955) with its alliterative title.
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MOVIE REVIEW OF ”THE STANDOFF AT SPARROW CREEK”
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