“The Lonely Crowd” follows Peter and Ashley, whose online date escalates into a heated battle of the sexes — full of corrupt cops, kidnapping and stolen money.
Instead of flowing like a typical movie, “The Lonely Crowd” opens without momentum. Writer-director David St. Clair spends the first 10 minutes diving into the psyche of Peter, including previous relationships, friendships and his search for a new connection. It gives the audience reason to buy into the central character, just not the story itself. The narrative initially lacks urgency because of this. Based on the premise, you may be expecting lots of “corrupt cops, kidnapping and stolen money.” There’s some of that, but that’s not necessarily the focus of this story. Instead, it culminates in a darkly comedic conversation on modern dating, a world where your first date can turn into a death match.
St. Clair’s script does sometimes get sidetracked. While brief, there are unnecessary scenes regarding mice, angry hotel guests and other distractions that deviate from the central narrative. This hinders the pacing while also putting the film in a cycle of “guy to the rescue” clichés. Consequently, “The Lonely Crowd” never gains the momentum it needs. Even as the movie nears its conclusion, it lacks the surprise factor required to elevate the slow-burn material from before. The ending itself is satisfying — it just doesn’t “wow.”
Adam Wesley (Peter) and Taylor Danehower (Ashley) do a lot of the heavy lifting. Danehower provides a constant bundle of energy, being quirky but also susceptible to emotion. Wesley is more one-note, serving as the “normal” presence amid the craziness. While portraying somewhat opposite personas, the pair’s chemistry is instantly believable.
It’s clear that “The Lonely Crowd” doesn’t have the budget of a big studio production. What the film lacks in technical aspects, however, it makes up for with charm.
Daniel Seigerman’s editing plays a role in this. The 105-minute runtime is filled with sequences of simple dialogue, though they’re not always generic. During moments of explanation or backstory, the film cuts away to visual descriptors that conceptualize accounts of events. This approach proves useful in keeping simple exchanges engaging. The film doesn’t always flow seamlessly, continually opting for fade-to-black transitions that leave scenes feeling disconnected. At the same time, Seigerman also employs abrupt cuts that effectively distinguish time jumps.
Director of photography Garrett Stotko keeps the camerawork minimalistic, remaining mostly still outside of slow pans and handheld movements implemented when the intensity rises. There is a sense of blandness to the imagery as a whole, however. This is because the flat lighting and dull color palette don’t add depth to the settings. Visual effects are occasionally relied on. While the CGI usage is typically short-lived, it is noticeable. Luckily, St. Clair knows this and largely steers clear of making the action the focal point. This means the film never has larger-than-life risk, but it at least maintains its grounded feel.
The simplistic approach carries over to the audio as well. Rather than overblown compositions, the film lets natural noises — crickets chirping, cars passing and dogs barking — act as ambiance. Still, Kevin Morrison’s score does make appearances to establish tension or aid in comedic relief.
There is plenty of potential in “The Lonely Crowd.” It features capable performances and strong direction; the limited stakes prevent it from rising above standard.
Rating: 3 out of 5
