Movie Review: 'Bushwick'

"Fear is big business." These days, that phrase almost seems like the mold for 90% of our media aside from clickbait and cat gifs. The world is in a constant state of alert, and every day it seems like the US is on the verge of total chaos. Bushwick is the tipping point that shows what happens when the sirens sound and the bullets start flying.

Dave Bautista is a man to watch, not just for his brilliant work as Drax but also for his presence on camera. The guy commands attention. In Bushwick his character isn't nearly as charismatic or bold as what we've seen from him before, but that doesn't mean the film is without merit. A state of emergency is called across the country when armed militants start dropping from the sky and Bautista is right in the middle of it.

The film starts when college student Lucy, played effectively by Brittany Snow, is on her way home to Brooklyn. When she gets off the subway at the Bushwick stop, events unfold and she is forced to survive or die. Bautista enters the picture as a former marine turned janitor who helps her through waves of gunfire and combat. We eventually learn that this has all been orchestrated within the country and the United States is in total civil war.

Bushwick has its flaws, but it certainly fares better than similar films of its ilk that fail to deliver on their premise. Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott provide solid direction behind the camera, and the movie benefits from an excellent soundtrack scored by rapper and composer Aesop Rock. The punches Bushwick packs are hard and tough, and quite a few scenes are scarily similar to some of the real-world events we are experiencing today. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but it's definitely worth taking a look at.