Film Review: THE G (2023): A Thriller Without Thrills

The G Review

The G (2023) Film Review, directed by Karl R. Hearne, written by Karl R. Hearne, and starring, Dale Dickey, Romane Denis, Roc Lafortune, Bruce Ramsay and Jonathan Koensgen.

A formidable Dale Dickey is not enough to keep this otherwise rocky thriller afloat in a convoluted film of revenge and corruption. From an intriguing and enigmatic opening, The G was set to carry the weight of a story and tone as dark as its subject matter, instead fizzling out into a fairly underwhelming but ultimately palatable experience. One simply hoped for more.

The film begins with an enticing opening as we see exploitation unfold in the darkest of manners. An elderly couple are the target of corrupt legal guardian Rivera (Bruce Ramsay), who wishes to steal their money and property from under them. Unbeknownst to him however, is the presence of “The G” (Dale Dickey), the tough and resilient woman he is stealing from. She is set up as a strong-willed and unyielding woman, a fierce and protective grandmother (after what she derives her nickname from), all qualities which are only bolstered by an immensely watchable turn from Dale Dickey, who is as magnetic as one would expect. She embodies a space between intensity and discretion, a performance of quiet impact that is wholly amusing for the entire runtime. Even so, there is little else that The G offers up to this same level of quality in a film that slowly falls apart after its opening.

While based on appalling realities, the film advances rather unconvincingly. The very real terror of the opening is replaced by a confused and contrived unfolding of events that are ultimately unpersuasive. The stakes and threats feel inconsistent and gradually lose their grip on the film, where moments of rigid and abusive control are equally countered by a strong lack of presence or danger. There are instances where the corruption and its effect on the elderly are truly palpable with its scenes of abusive violence, but there is as much mundanity throughout the rest of the film that undoes this. The second act floats along in such an uninvolving, passionless way that it undercuts the heft of the subject matter.

The G’s other centre lies in its revenge tale, but this also fails in a similar manner. The traits it establishes in our protagonist excite the possibilities of a thrilling and rewarding story of vengeance, but it pulls its punches. The anticipation is progressively lost alongside all the momentum the film began with, finishing things neatly within the last ten minutes in an abrupt but somewhat sufficient ending for this revenge thriller.

And so, as a film it never remains wholly stable, instead becoming confounded by its own existence. Its desire to exist as a revenge thriller or a commentary on the corruption and abuse of the elderly is unfulfilled in either respect, lacking the complexity, weight and polish to pull them off compellingly. It exists somewhere in-between, and both suffer from being undeveloped and half-baked. The inspired choice of having an older woman lead a revenge thriller played by the gripping Dale Dickey is sadly lost in the mess. More stable is its visual tone, but its consistency is only matched by simplicity. An efficient telling of the events keeps a steady darkness and grit to its images, but The G lacks any real cinematic flourish, a proficient but uninteresting style for this genre piece.

Neither dazzling nor dreadful, The G is ultimately a fine film. It edges one in with intrigue and shock, the seeds of a compelling film clearly present, but ultimately befalls into mediocrity. It wastes its potential, turning from a frustrating experience to a tedious one, as we patiently await for the film to truly click into place. Dale Dickey is truly captivating, but sadly cannot ever evoke enough to carry the rest of this disappointing film.

Rating: 4/10

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