Ace Jackson is a Dead Man - Review

Ace Jackson is a man with a plan and he's going to make it big. Unfortunately for Ace things don’t go as planned and he ends up on the hit list of a major drug dealer. Now Ace has a few days in which to find the money he owes the dealer before he ends up in an alley with a bullet in his head.

In terms of story I guess Ace Jackson isn’t much different on paper from a lot of movies I’ve seen before. A character gets into hot water with some dangerous people and is forced to spend most of the movie saving their own ass. The difference really comes from director Sean Weathers decision to use the film as a blunt statement on consumerism and capitalism while also focusing the film on a character who happens to be both a victim of the capitalist mindset and also kind of an asshole.

However odd that may seem I think it makes sense to portray Ace as kind of unlikable. Throughout the film Weathers fills the screen with scrolling blocks of text which discuss the American mentality toward capitalism, wealth, and fame and the rabid consumerism that occurs as a result. Jackson really just comes off as a representation of that poisoned mindset. He buys into the idea that he too can make it. All he needs is a good plan to get rich and everything will work out. He too can be rich and successful. As a result he is willing to do whatever it takes, no matter the cost, to chase something he will never achieve. I guess in some ways most of us can relate to that feeling but have accepted the fact that it's easier to accept our place in the food chain rather than be devoured by an impossible dream.

As far as the film itself goes I actually quite enjoyed it. While tonally different from "Scumbag Hustler", the last film I'd seen from Weathers, I found this one did stick with me for a while after watching it. This is in large part due to the way the film is put together. The integration of text to push a message is an interesting decision since it puts everything out on the table. Weathers isn’t interested in subtlety with this one and I kind of like that. It's not often that filmmakers are willing to put their opinions out there so blatantly. Subtlety is usually the route many take so it's actually a bit refreshing to see a director willing to literally put his thoughts out on the screen. It's also worth mentioning that the film features a great soundtrack and moves at a brisk pace of just over an hour which I always appreciate.

Overall "Ace Jackson is a Dead Man" stands as another interesting film from an independent director that's worth paying attention to.

You can find the works of Sean Weathers at www.fullcirclefilmworks.com

Score: 3.5/5