Written and directed by Henry K. Hwang, in a world where the United States is replaced by a totalitarian regime governed by flawless algorithmic systems, a young analyst begins to question the math when its cold logic collides with his spiritual beliefs. Starring: Leon Schwendener, Juniper Renee Verdon, Petro Ninovskyi, Sean Weil, Christopher Chan and Toni Fazio.
It would be quite hard to deny the relevance of crafting a story about totalitarian regimes in the US, it’s pretty much hitting the nail right on the head, which is what Certain Thomas does. It asks a lot of questions about what people sacrifice when serving a regime, the inevitable price that has to be paid. It’s not necessarily a subtle exploration of the topic but Henry K. Hwang adds some of his own touches. The use of mathematics is interesting, as a nice parallel to how in a system like that lives become pure numbers rather than being considered as real people.
There’s a strong subject at its core and it moves well, the cinematography is strong and the use of architecture to create that dystopian feel was a clever touch. Hwang manages to capture that sense of misery and coldness, as well as the slowly disappearing colour which comes from trying to eradicate individuality. There’s also a good score at work from Christopher Armstrong which helps to boost the atmosphere. Although, the sound having a distinct dubbing quality does fight against Certain Thomas’ ability to build sincerity. It’s something that the film struggles with throughout, to create a more imposing, compelling presence.
However, Leon Schwendener does attempt to balance that with his performance. He does a great job of building sympathy but keeping the door open to something malicious. Schwendener captures that uncertainty of: are they a bad person who truly believes in a monstrous regime, or have they simply been taken in by false ideologies and a twisted concept of loyalty and patriotism? And he nicely doesn’t make the answer entirely transparent and keeps you guessing.
Certain Thomas has a good concept, and it’s executed with an effective style, but it can feel heavy-handed at times. It has a slightly performative edge which hinders it from building something more impactful or sincere. It’s relevant and interesting, and led by a strong performance from Leon Schwendener, it’s simply missing a bigger presence or depth to reach its full potential.
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