Written and directed by Justin MacGregor, when a young boy goes missing in the town of Hope, his grandfather must grapple with their family history and navigate mysterious phenomena as he sets out on a quest of conscience to save his grandson from the shadows. Starring: Rick Edwards, Greg Sestero, Evan Riley Brown, Lillith Foxx, Teddy Hillary, James Jarvis and Jacqueline Worley.
When The Founder Effect opens, it instils that feel of true crime podcasts, an obsession with the unknown, the tease of a juicy mystery and its dark paths. Then as it moves forward into the realm of its leading characters, it becomes more grounded which nicely sets the tone and creates a wholesome connection before it strays into sad and difficult territory. The story adds in a few classically suspicious characters, pushing at the mystery and perilous potential.
Although ultimately, its attempts to build a layer of the supernatural feel like a distraction, taking away space for the gritty reality of its story, a style that may have been able to add a bigger power or strength. The story is digging its way into a lot of important and poignant themes, so cutting them together with a feel of phenomena, can undercut their impact.
That’s not to say it doesn’t all work, the idea of intuition and following a gut feeling is still largely relevant, whether it be a result of the subconscious or something more mystical. It also feels like a cultural or traditional interpretation of evil, representing it as something other worldly rather than simple human atrocities.
One of the biggest strengths that The Founder Effect has to offer is its natural landscape shots, they add a huge value to the film. Not only do they hugely boost the atmosphere but they also have a compelling texture and detail to them. It’s a big element in how the film builds its mystery, as well as using the quiet and an eery silence in its favour. Although there are times where it felt too quiet and let the story move very slowly rather than being hands on with dialogue and plot development. However, there are some greatly ominous shots which are well designed to enhance the suspicious edge to the film.
Rick Edwards is another key strength, his performance is surprisingly sincere and though it may track some overly familiar ground towards the end, he brings a wholesome, caring presence. Most of the film lands on his shoulders and he’s easy to watch, he rarely hits the drama note too hard and has a solid, grounded personality.
Whereas Greg Sestero’s character can feel disconnected from the story, he’s used in a way to add context or weight but it comes across out of place. You can almost see how he might have worked as a narrator of sorts but it can take focus away from the main story. There’s also one key moment of giving the antagonists their own acoustic guitar rendition which feels massively misplaced and a miscommunication of emotion.
The Founder Effect is a quietly ominous and mysterious drama, it has a strong aesthetic that makes the most of its mountain setting. Rick Edwards leads the way with a sympathetic and relatable performance while the story slowly follows a dark, winding path of family, missing children, human trafficking and community spirit. It has its weakness and occasionally could use a bigger driving force but it’s well shot and a solid feature.
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