Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016 River ****

[tweet_box design=”default”]Jamie M Dagg’s directorial debut is a lightning-paced, action-packed thriller, tense as a taut wire and set mostly in Laos.[/tweet_box]

Young doctor John Lake (Rossif Sutherland) takes an island holiday away from his volunteer post after surgery on a young girl goes wrong.  After relaxing in a bar, he attempts to help a young local woman, gets himself into trouble and when the police become involved he goes on the run.  This single mistake is compounded by others and he finds himself with no money, friends or passport in a land foreign to him in every way.  Against the backdrop of lush South East Asian landscapes, Lake finds the best and worst of humanity to help or hinder him on his way.

The film is saved from being run-of-the-mill by its pace, a fierce tension, an excellent cast and a surprising twist in the tale.  The river becomes part of the plot at various points and represents a Crossing of the Rubicon for the main character.