Film Review: 'Eternal Code'

Having inherited the title of CEO of a genetic research company from her late father, Bridget Pellegrini (Erika Hoveland) does not take her job lightly and is stringent in following her father's example of never compromising her principles. So after learning that her company's latest business venture incurs moral and legal ramifications, she's quick to veto any further developments on the project. But with that project serving as a means of allowing people to achieve immortality, more than a few employees are left furious by Bridget's decision.

Among them is board member Oliver (Richard Tyson), who quickly begins plotting with his associates to get Bridget out of the way and insure the invention proceeds in development as planned. That plan has Bridget and her husband Mark (Billy Wirth) being kidnapped and held hostage by cohorts of Oliver's, with their teenage daughter Miranda (Angelina Danielle Cama) narrowly escaping the abductors' clutches. As Bridget fights to survive, Miranda finds refuge with a pair of unlikely allies: homeless vet Corey (Damien Chinappi) and prostitute Stephanie (Kaiti Wallen). As Oliver's plot unravels and becomes more and more complicated, can this trio rescue Bridget and put a stop to Oliver's plans?

To start off this review, a bit of trivia: at the Indie Gathering International Film Festival, Eternal Code took home the award for Best Crime Drama. I bring this up because after seeing it, there's no question that this film more than earned that title. After a beginning that gingerly throws the audience into the action while still maintaining a slow burn, Eternal Code goes all in as an action thriller, with the twists and turns coming at a steady rate that will keep the audience guessing as to where the story will go. The film also cultivates an "Anyone Can Die" feel as the story progresses, giving the movie an extra layer of unpredictability.

The thrill ride plot is carried by the film's strong characters and cast behind them, with a definite gem of the bunch being Damien Chinappi as homeless vet turned surprise hero Corey. Corey's introduction to the film is a rather well-done establishing character moment, showing him abandon his plan to commit suicide in order to save Stephanie (who, at this point, is a relative stranger) from being assaulted by a rough customer. As the film progresses, we see that beneath Corey's ragged clothes and pessimistic outlook on life, there lies a strong and compassionate man willing to fight for the lives of people he doesn't know—a heroic transformation that is heartwarming to witness after seeing Corey on the brink of ending his life.

(Also, I have to give some praise to the makeup team for their work on Corey's original appearance; I was legitimately floored when Corey cleaned himself up for his first reconnaissance mission)

Kaiti Wallen plays well off of Chinappi as Stephanie and Corey become unlikely allies, with the two developing a chemistry in the beginning of two broken people forming a surprise bond. While I wish this friendship had gotten some more time to develop, Chinappi and Wallen work well with the time they are given and, in a refreshing twist, the pair remain platonic friends rather than being going the standard action thriller route of having a shoehorned-in romantic subplot. Erika Hoveland joins Chinappi in giving a standout performance as Bridget Pellegrini; she not only has her own strong establishing character moment in her scene of refusing to back down on her principles in the face of pressure from her fellow employees, but Hoveland allows for Bridget's strength to persist throughout the film. Even as she spends much of the movie being held captive and terrorized, Bridget never loses her fiery determination and unwillingness to back down.

The villains of Eternal Code give just as powerful performances, with Richard Tyson, Shane Hagedorn, and Harley Wallen (Eternal Code's writer and director, as well as the husband of Kaiti Wallen) standing out for bringing terrifyingly subdued malice and outright sociopathy as mastermind Oliver, unstable henchman Carter, and equally callous cohort Sam respectively. Scout Taylor-Compton also makes the most of her minor role as sole henchwoman Charlie, holding back no punches (both figuratively and literally) as she brings psychotic zest to her character. Nikita, who I initially believed would be a minor and unmemorable character, packs a surprising impact as a combination of the script and Vida Ghaffari's performance, and Yan Birch is a surprise knockout as scientist Magnus. Unlike others within the company, who are clearly acting for their own self-interest, Birch allows for Magnus to maintain the right air of sincerity to keep himself ambiguous: is he just as callous and self-serving as his fellow employees, or are his morally questionable deeds done with pure intentions?

(SPOILER ALERT By the end of the film, Oliver and Nikita emerge as truly diabolical villains, once the full extent of their immortality-granting technology is revealed. The idea of the comatose and brain-dead having their bodies taken over by the privileged elite looking to cheat death is a horrifying concept, making the ending in which the villainous couple use their new bodies to re-infiltrate Bridget's company just when things are getting back to normal all the more unnerving. SPOILERS OVER)

On the weaker side of the cast, however, stand Angelina Danielle Cama and Calhoun Koenig as Miranda Pellegrini and her best friend May. Neither Cama or Koenig give terrible performances, with both having effective moments where they illustrate their young characters' intense emotions regarding the horrific situation they find themselves entangled in. But in other moments, Cama and Koenig's deliveries come across as flat, which become something of a notable detriment in their more emotionally motivated scenes (a notable example being a scene where Miranda calls May to assure her she's safe).

But aside from these flawed performances, Eternal Code stands up as a stellar crime thriller that uses its action to keep the audience in riveted attention. Add to that a strong main cast, well-written characters, and a conclusion that ties everything together and ends on an appropriate tone for the film that precedes it, and you have a well-rounded thriller that is sure to be a hit among those who enjoy their thrillers twist-heavy.

Score: 9 out of 10 oddly transitioned-into cooking montages.