It is a rare thing indeed for a feature film based on a short to be a great thing. Even a proof-of-concept shot film falls apart when its run time exceeds 13 minutes. The main problem is the story and characters. A short film doesn't need to flesh them out as much, with explanations remaining in the details. When making the jump to 80 minutes plus, the need to pad out the story can have characters telegraphing everything about their background and the narrative as though their lives depend on it. It usually reaches a point that would have Chekhov saying, “Come on now, lads. Sometimes a gun is just set dressing.”
So, is the Burghart Brother's Head Count a great thing? No. But it's still a good movie.
Kat (Aaron Jakubenko) has a problem. He escaped two days ago from a prison chain gang after a bear killed two other prisoners. However, that's not his current predicament. Right now, two men are pointing his own gun at him. With all the excitement, he's forgotten just how many bullets have been fired. A neo-noir western take on Slumdog Millionaire follows as it recounts the previous day's experience. From meeting with his brother Sawyer (Ryan Kwanten) and old flame Jo (Melanie Zanetti) to assisting a crooked cop with robbing a weapon dealer, Kat counts the bullets as he tries to make it out alive.
Head Count could be a better movie by any stretch of the imagination. Save for Kat, all of the characters are still being flushed out. One-dimensional, they feel more like waveforms, repeating steady action until they come into contact with Kat. That's not to say they are poorly acted or directed, just that they don't feel like real people. Maybe it would have worked if there had been more of a background blur to give the impression that these are Kat's imperfect and subjective memories. As it is, they feel like extras.
Even Kat comes across as somewhat flat at times. Others seem to narrate his life choices. The reveal of his reason for being in prison in the first place slows down part of the third act and is there to add padding. It would have added an extra layer if it had been spread throughout the whole movie.
However, it is still a good, solid film. Throughout the whole movie there is the motif of chains, wires, and shackles. Maybe it's Kat being chained to life in Kansas and those from his old life. Or perhaps it's just because Kat is a fugitive on the run, so there will be chains. The Burghart Brothers' work to make Head Count feel bigger than its small budget would otherwise allow. The cinematograph captures a Western and almost Midwest Gothic vibe, with most of the action occurring at night and in dark and contrasting places. While the characters aren't as flushed out as they could have been, there is a sense of relationships between them that would often be missing in bigger movies.
Some have linked to films like Memento or Blood Simple, but it feels more like the Coen Brothers directed Next Day Air. There is a blend of Noir Western with Farce. Comedy before a profound moment doesn't take away from the tragedy; it merely heightens the experience of it. Kat becomes the Straight Man in a dark joke he had no intention of being involved in.
Head Count is a robust first-time feature from brothers Ben Burghart and Jacob Burghart. With an 80-minute run time, it stays its pace and entertains.
Head Count is out now on digital platforms