Life/HACK
Kyle and his friends hack for fun, pranking online scammers. Seeking a bigger thrill, they target billionaire Don Heard through his daughter Lindsey's social media, stealing his cryptocurrency. – "INDb"
Excerpt
"LifeHACK seems to have avoided [screenlife] pitfalls, creating a sleek, innovative Robin Hood for the modern day-style thriller that will keep you invested throughout. "
What Are We Getting Into?
If you were subjected to Prime’s War of the Worlds then first off, sorry, and secondly, congratulations, you were part of the great experiment. Found footage is a trend that gained popularity with the found footage hit The Blair Witch Project (1999), and the process of displaying that footage became “screenlife” a challenge to filmmakers to create a feature where every shot is shown through a computer, tablet or smartphone screen. It may have been spurred on by the ubiquity of cell phones and and other mobile devices and bolstered by the pandemic when having crews in the same place was a liability.
Whether it be the creative but clunky Unfriended (2014), or the confusing and often motion-sickness inducing Missing (2023), or even the well honed but unlauded Searching (2018), it’s a maneuver that can make or break your project depending on the outcome. Thankfully LifeHACK seems to have avoided these pitfalls, creating a sleek, innovative Robin Hood for the modern day-style thriller that will keep you invested throughout.
LifeHack was developed through the Screenlife Accelerator UK, a program launched in Liverpool by Timur Bekmambetov and producer Joann Kushner to support filmmakers working in the format.
The film – directed by Ronan Corrigan – stars Georgie Farmer, Yasmin Finney, Roman Hayeck-Green and James Scholz with Jessica Reynolds and Charlie Creed-Miles supporting. The introverted group hang out on discord playing Mine Craft and being low level menaces. They prank a scammer in India and do other little jobs that test the breadth of their coding knowledge and hacking abilities.
Farmer plays Kyle, the glue of the group who comes up with an idea to steal from the worst person he knows – Don Heard (Creed-Miles). The others all have their own things going on that demand distraction along with a bit of outside validation. Alex (Finney) is having issues with her mom being overly strict, Sid (Hayeck-Green) has an abusive, alcoholic father, Petey (Scholz) is trying to get into an Ivy League on a full ride and Kyle himself is trying to make do with an absent father.
What makes this screenlife film different is the concept is not used as a gimmick, but rather a device that actually forwards the plot. The hackers steal bitcoin using passkey crackers and social engineering wallet ID’s. They use voice changes to call actual people and the access makes every use of their screens make sense. There were times when I was so absorbed in the action, I forgot about the device.
LifeHACK excels by having a cast of personalities who can add human elements to complicated technical jargon. At the end of the day, these are Discord kids, not IT engineers. They speak like kids, they have the same narrow vision as young people often do, and they get in way over their own heads.
While it’s obvious that Kyle has a thing for Alex, he really just wants to solidify their group dynamic. When things spiral out of control, it’s him who feels the absence the most. Sid is a bundle of nerves and Alex would be too except she’s been stealing her mom’s Prozac for a while. Petey is the least affected though he also knows when to throw in the towel. It’s Kyle who brings up the idea of stealing a small amount from Don Heard.
Taking the First Hit
Why Don? Take 1 part Richard Branson, 2 parts Elon Musk and add a dash of Joe Rogan and you’ll be about halfway to the obnoxious Don Heard. He’s a billionaire tech guru who believes that making money also makes him right in everything. He’s got a lot of pride and even more secrets that he goes to great lengths to keep hidden. Normal adversaries would see this as the threat it is and stay clear.
Kyle sees it as a way in. He understands his friends’ strength and puts together a plan that will have the viewer gripping at their seats. Of course, it’s never that simple and the film takes you on a rollercoaster of twists and turns that are fun, but still grounded.
Corrigan both wrote and directed his debut feature with production by Michael Fassbender’s DMC Film. It’s a worthy first feature effort and you can tell he has a knack for visual storytelling. In LifeHACK, he helped reduce visual fatigue by switching up the grain and qualities so the shots didn’t get tiring. He also played with coloring and lighting to create realistic and sharp darks where needed and bright, but not blinding whites. The flashes for photos were bright, but also cinematic.
While attempting to steal from Don Heard, a snag develops when Don’s daughter Lindsey (Reynolds) becomes involved. She wants to get back at her father for his emotional distance (and other reasons that are exposed later). Lindsey’s inclusion adds yet another exciting layer as our group of miscreants try to regain the upper hand.
My only minor gripes about the film involve characters making decisions based on forwarding the plot and not actually making sense. It’s a frustrating trope that has gained traction in the last year. Your plot should be driven by the plot, not random happenstances that don’t fit in with the characterization of our team.
Overall, Life/HACK started as a workshopped project built out almost like a start-up. The process paid off creating a slick, tech-heavy film that didn’t skimp on the plot of character development. It’s a fun, smart romp that you’ll love from start to finish!
LifeHACK will open wide in theaters May 15th.
Score: 6.5/10