MISTER STITCHES **** U.S.A. 2018 Dir: Michael Smith 52 mins
Set in 1936, small town America where everyone goes about their daily peaceful lifes. This is soon interrupted by a gang of bank robbers who annoyed by the lack of the money in the bank they robbed try to make a quick getaway. They are soon forced into shootout with a police officer which ends bad for both sides. Not only on the run for bank robbery but also murder they aim to seek a quiet place to lay low. When a member of the family living on the farm finds theses crooks hiding, they realise they must silence the family before they inform the authorities. The one thing these gangsters didn’t realise is that here on this farm, the land takes care of its own.
Mixing a gangster film with supernatural elements, Michael Smith has created a film that will garner praise from fans of both genres. It is well shot and has an authentic look to the period the film is set in. This is further emphasized by characters using slang or lingo of the time. It is well acted throughout by the small cast. For its modest budget they definitely got value from every penny spent on the film. Although it has some minor technical faults (night shots obviously filmed in the day but made to look night) these can be overlooked as they don’t take you out of a well written story. Mister Stitches himself is sure to bring fear to those who are scared of scarecrows. Overall I would highly recommend you watch this film.
Review by Peter ‘Witchfinder‘ Hopkins