Limbo
(DVD Screener)
(2005)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

Very rarely do I see a film slip into my DVD player that I deem "flawless". To go a step further, it's almost unheard of to recommend an Independent horror as a 5 Skull Staff Pick because of the troubles that arise when funding for a film is low. However, I was completely blown away by Thomas Ikimi's black and white "Limbo", which displayed incredible storytelling comparable to old school Twilight Zone episodes, as well as camera flair that would rival that of any big budget director working today.

Big time lawyer Adam Moses (Russo) is experiencing what I like to call "Groundhog Day Syndrome." He relives the same hour over and over again, never truly understanding why time will not progress. Interrupting a poker game in the back of a rundown store, Moses grabs a hold of a man named Vaughan (Christie) and tells him that playing a specific hand will ultimately end his life. Puzzled by Moses' comments, Vaughan is torn between risking it all and the cautionary word of a complete stranger. Adam then emphasizes his point by pulling a gun on the other party at the poker game and insisting that Vaughan leave with him. The two run out of the shop and Moses seems completely satisfied with himself.

Still troubled by Moses actions, Vaughan desperately tries to pry some answers away from the reluctant lawyer. After a few sequences of Moses predicting other peoples' actions, Vaughan finally gets the truth out of him. Moses is trapped in a "limbo" where he relives the same hour repeatedly. Consequently, Moses knows the actions of those around him before they do, hence him putting an early end to Vaughan's poker game. Suddenly, the flashback game begins. Cut to Moses taking on the case of his life against a big time gangster who has a rep for "solving" problems. Moses is cocky and unphased by the gangster's subtle threats, sticking to procedure and insisting on submitting incriminating evidence. Not long after, we see the gangster call for a hit on Moses. The table is set for Moses death and that is just the beginning of the entire story.

Not knowing who killed him and for what purpose, Moses wanders around in Limbo searching for answers until he stumbles upon a couple of people caught in the same situation. One is a young woman who has absolutely no knowledge as to why she's experiencing the recurring hour, the other is a lucid drug addict that speaks almost prophetically about the situation. It is within the words of the addict that Limbo's appeal begins to take form. Suggesting to Moses that he savor the moment of non-judgment rather than question it, the addict steers the film away from "typical crime/ drama" and into a very dark, unnerving exploration of moral limits. After living a straight arrow life, Adam Moses is about to discover what life is like for those who don't concern themselves with morals or transient judgment.

Ikimi's Limbo is a shoestring budget project that prevails primarily due to execution of storyline in a subtle, yet impacting fashion. Casual filmgoers will take the film with a grain of salt until Moses' encounter with the addict, when the film takes a sociopathic turn. Like a car crash, Limbo deals a blow that will most certainly open the viewer's eyes to the evolving storyline. It's thought provoking films like this that really make my job as a reviewer worthwhile - a challenge to the moral craft and fiber that society only views from a positive perspective. I commend Ikimi for not only delivering a solid storyline, but for presenting it in a fashion that will be appreciated and not soon forgotten.