Bushwick (2017) Film Review

The film Bushwick comes to us at a time when the U.S. is in a state of political turmoil. I’m not a political person, but I can easily see on social media and television the many people who were dissatisfied with the current presidential situation. At the same time, I can also see the people who are very satisfied and have hope for the future of their country under its current leadership. Personally I feel that there are both great and terrible people on both ends of the spectrum, and that this is natural and par for the course when it comes to the human race.

Bushwick uses a ‘what if’ scenario, much the same as the movie Red Dawn did in 1984. In the first film, the U.S. was being invaded by communistic Russia. In Bushwick, the Cooties Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott have directed a film that using an American civil war as the backdrop of the picture. Bushwick tries to be as poignant as possible, but where it pushes forward in heart and vigor, it has its shortcomings. The likable gentle giant Stupe, played by former wrestler Dave Bautista (Guardians Of The Galaxy), is a role perfectly suited for him. His character has his heart in the right place, but relinquishes brutal violence as a tool of survival.

I will give credit to Bushwick for being an intense and nonstop thriller. Right from the opening of the film, the viewer is not given much chance to breath until the violence sets in. Brittany Snow (Would Your Rather) plays Lucy, who is getting off a subway train with her boyfriend when an announcement announces the terminal is now closed. They proceed to leave the terminal and immediately see a person running toward them, literally on fire like the Human Torch from The Fantastic Four. When Lucy’s boyfriend goes off to investigate, he comes flying back down the stairs with his face melted off.

From then on, Lucy is running through the streets while a heavily armed police-like force sweep the streets eradicating everyone in sight. It seems as if the neighborhood of Bushwick is fighting back though, as different gangs are giving this unknown military force a run for their money. Lucy is thrown into a dungeon-like apartment by a couple of violent street thugs when Stupe appears. The two eventually form a partnership and try to figure out what is going on and how to get to safety.

I’ve read the numerous goofs, flaws and plot holes Bushwick possesses from IMDb, but despite this, I still enjoyed the film. I believe, first and foremost, that a movie is made to entertain. If it succeeds in this, makes you think – at least a little – and evokes some sort of emotion in you, then I believe it has done its job.  Bushwick is a movie that drew me in immediately and never let me go until the final conclusion. It’s violent, dark and bleak as hell, and it portrays an honest look at society. For example, even while Bushwick is being invaded, people are still doing  useless and detestable things like robbing convenience stores.

As for the film’s characters, Stupe is honest and flawed while Lucy has survival instincts despite making foolish decisions. You can see her character progress as the movie goes on. Do not watch Bushwick if you’re into movies where the hero saves the day, because this one is bleak to the bone. That is another reason why I enjoyed it. Stake Land‘s Nick Damici co-wrote the script, a fact that gives Bushwick yet another gold star from me. I remember him starring in and co-writing a cool, low budget horror film titled Mulberry Street, which also took place in a gritty urban setting.

Writers Nick Damici and Graham Reznick were obviously influenced by today’s politics while creating the story for Bushwick. In the film, Texas has broken off from the rest of the U.S. and is invading the rest of the country. While the majority of the south voted in favor of the Republican platform, it’s easy to put this together here and  figure out where they were going with the material. Of course, the actual state of Texas was not too happy with this portrayal, but I digress. This film introduces an interesting and thought provoking scenario, but Damici and Reznick really needed to get their facts straight before writing the script. When you get political in any movie. people are bound to let their opinions flare and passions will rise above anything else. Simply put, Bushwick is an entertaining, B movie thriller and really should be enjoyed for what it is.