By: Trevor Chartrand

Cascade does some adequate genre-blending;  plucking tropes in such a way that it feels like the film would be right at home if it were released in the 80s.  Essentially, the indie boils down to a combination of teenage dramas like The Breakfast Club and a watered-down Rambo.

From director Egidio Coccimiglio (making his first feature film since 2013’s Compulsion), Cascade is the story of four lifelong friends who go on a hiking trip that’s supposed to be their last hurrah before they all part ways and head for college or pursue other careers.  Alex (Sara Waisglass of Mary Goes Round and Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia), Jesse (Joel Oulette), and Em (Sadie Laflamme-Snow), are led into a restricted area of the national park by their smart-ass, thrill-seeker friend Vince (Stephen Kalyn).  They come across the remains of a plane crash in the woods, discovering the pilot’s body scattered among his cargo – a massive delivery of cocaine.  The four of them are soon targeted by a gang of thugs who are also looking for the same plane and the drugs.  They all get caught up in a violent hostage situation that they may not survive. 

The opening moments of Cascade are weighed down with heavy-handed exposition that the cast, try as they may, can’t quite sell convincingly.  In a short conversation, all four of our teen protagonists have exciting news, new job opportunities, and – gasp – one of them is hiding a secret!  To cap it off, we also learn that Alex has a troubled relationship with an abusive father.  Conveniently, this important information is spelled out right as we, the movie’s audience, are first introduced to these characters.  Unfortunately, they don’t develop much more beyond that opening scene either – for the most part, they remain linear throughout.  It may be efficient character building for screenwriters Jonas Chernick (The End of Sex) and Ed Mason, but it’s not very effective. 

Among the cast, the delightfully zany Josh Cruddas (The Last Mark) stands out considerably as Cutter, a bizarrely spaced-out thug.  Cruddas plays Cutter with an odd detachment that feels like it belongs in a different movie.  I suspect he may not have been taking the role quite as seriously as the others, instead having a lot of fun with his portrayal.  Ironically, his humorous take on the character easily makes him the most entertaining part of the film.  

The look and style of Cascade is serviceable overall, with some breathtaking locations, including a picturesque waterfall in the woods.  On a technical level, the film is fairly well-made despite the seams showing here and there. 

Much like the characters, the overall narrative feels very familiar and safe, and is paced well with a revelation or two throughout.  Cascade does have its moments but, with its lack of personality and character and an overall generic impression, it leaves something to be desired.

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Trevor Chartrand: @OhHaiTrebor