• A Bit of Bad Luck Movie Review

Hey gang, Valkor here. I don’t always read the synopsis of films because I enjoy going in fresh; when it comes to new films, I can go either way – to read it or not to read it. Generally, a synopsis is supposed to give you an “idea” of what a film is about, without giving too much away. But for the next film up on the block, “A Bit of Bad Luck”, though the phrasing is short, it does give away too much. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not that good either. Read on, oh and expect major spoilers.

A Bit of Bad Luck


In “A Bit of Bad Luck”, we follow the exploits of Brooks (Cary Elwes – Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox), a prominent lawyer and married to a beautiful and wealthy wife Amanda (Teri Polo). But Brooks is the kind of guy who “wants his cake and to eat it too”. So whenever he gets the chance he cheats on his wife. Amanda suspects Brooks’ infidelities, but can’t right away prove it. So she lets him leave, for his next venture. Brooks hooks up with his sidepiece Heather (Agnes Bruckner), who after they have their “moment”, she pressures Brooks into leaving his wife and even devising a plan where they could murder Amanda and get away scot-free. Brooks isn’t having it and the two separate with Heather locking herself in the bathroom and Brooks conking out.

A Bit of Bad Luck


In the morning when Brooks awakens, Heather is still locked in the bathroom but unresponsive. He breaks in and finds her on the floor and after a brief examination of the body, it appears Heather has died, due to a drug overdose. Brooks makes a brief call to the cops, but decides otherwise; we assume because it would affect his life and relationship with his wife. So instead, he makes a run for it. And that’s when things start to take a turn for the worse.

A Bit of Bad Luck


His first rough experience is when someone siphons the gas from his car. Fortunately, Brooks drives a hybrid so he’s able to make it to the nearest gas station. But when he arrives, he discovers that there’s more damage to his car. And the closest garage that can fix his vehicle is some ways away. Thankfully he’s able to get a tow and when he arrives at the station, the mechanic is able to do the work but it won’t be completed until morning. So Brooks is looking to overnight in the town of Creechville, where the people are acting rather suspect towards him for some reason. And after checking in, in one of these seediest of motels, he goes out for a drink at the local bar. Things start out rough, but then they pick up and he even entertains the locals with some of his law stories while chugging back a few. But before he can call it a night, Brooks is coaxed into one more drink… laced with something that knocks him out.

A Bit of Bad Luck


When Brooks wakes up, his room is ransacked as though he’d been robbed. And when he goes to complain, the owner kicks him out, stating that Brooks was acting like a madman. And as the pieces start to come together, it’s revealed that the town is aware of what he did with Heather, who as it turns out is a local to Creechville. And while Brooks’ is initially able to get away, he’s eventually captured and looks to stand trial for his actions, through the only way this town knows how - through a tribunal. And the entire affair - from the start until his capture - was orchestrated by his wife as payback for all his infidelity.

A Bit of Bad Luck


And for “A Bit of Bad Luck”, the tribunal isn't even the ending as there’s just a bit of a twist to wrap things up. And you’ll either like it or hate it. And I’ll give you my thoughts in the TOV Breakdown.

A Bit of Bad Luck


The Good:

“A Bit of Bad Luck” is a fascinating dark comedy that pushes the concept of revenge and karma rather heavily - like right from the start the film is in your face about it. However, it didn’t really need so much reminding as it carries itself rather well. And you're more than aware through Brooks' action that he's facing some serious karma backlash; from the moment Brooks begins the run for his life until the twisted ending, the entire event is exciting and unpredictable. The film flows nicely as it’s able to keep sight of Brooks’ stressful ordeal, tossing in a few humorous moments to keep things interesting. Now the ending might throw folks off… and maybe anger a few (I’ll admit, I was pretty angry), but the final ending is what one would expect, so I’m content with that. The acting is great and Cary Elwes does a wonderful job as our disheveled lawyer Brooks and he pretty much handles this solo, but he does have an amazing and eclectic cast to bounce off of. Yet, he still carries the film well and for that, he gets much props. In the end, A Bit of Bad Luck does not totally disappoint and will rank as one of the craziest yet entertaining films I’ve watched this year.

A Bit of Bad Luck


The Bad:

The ending is a total dick move! That’s right I said it! But before we get into that, I’d first like to briefly discuss the synopsis, which completely throws it out there that the wife was involved with all of Brooks’ misfortune. I couldn’t help but have that piece of detail in the back of my mind as Brooks was going through all of his unfortunate events. And knowing this, the film loses some of its intensity. Finally the ending – a dream sequence? Really? The whole thing was a dream? Sure Brooks gets his just desserts in the end, but everything leading up to that point was just a silly dream! It’s just so much wrong for a film, which up to that point, was a whole lot of fun.

A Bit of Bad Luck


The Ugly:

N/A

A Bit of Bad Luck


“A Bit of Bad Luck” is available now through digital distribution such as Amazon, YouTube, and Vudu. And honestly, I’d recommend checking out. Even though the ending may or may not upset you, it’s the ride getting up to that point that’s worthwhile. And out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving “A Bit of Bad Luck” a 3.5.

A Bit of Bad Luck