BULL RUN
Starring: Chris Diamantopoulos, Tom Blyth, Ashwin Gore, Helena Mattsson, Alyshia Ochse, Troy Garity, Zach Villa, and Jordyn Denning
Director: Alfredo Barrios Jr.
KATIE
Bull Run is an unbearably obnoxious film. The protagonist speaks directly to the camera in a manner that is clearly trying to replicate The Wolf of Wall Street, but it's as jarring as the rest of the editing. It constantly cuts to sequences of random stock footage-looking images and clips to emphasise particular points, doing so recklessly and seemingly without significance. Scenes are randomly intercut with cross-fades and repeated shots, annoying sound effects, and a distracting, bassy kind of soundtrack. I didn’t care about any of the characters or the story, and at only 100 minutes, I felt bored quickly.
AMARÚ
While Bull Run could have been nothing more than a cheap knockoff of The Wolf of Wall Street, director Alfredo Barrios Jr., star Tom Blyth, and a game ensemble use breakneck pacing, an infectious score, and the playfully jargon-filled screenplay to make something all its own. Smashing their foot on the pedal allows the cast to speed-talk through charming dialogues and monologues, have fun with not-too-vulgar schemes, and keep audiences engaged even if we can’t keep up with every interweaving plotline. Ultimately feeling more like Office Space than The Wolf of Wall Street, Bull Run is a surprisingly fun little film.
