Though I don't always agree with his takes and sometimes overly harsh criticisms, I am a fan of the CD's YouTube content in general, and I backed his Kickstarter because I wanted to see the final product of him putting his money where his mouth is about doing better than the Hollywood schlock he criticizes.
And I was pleasantly surprised, especially since spy/espionage/political/thriller/action isn't a preferred genre of mine because it tends to be more plot than character focused.
Since I haven't read the books, this was my introduction to this world and these characters and though the short film format and genre/plot tropes didn't leave much room for character development, there were enough implications and set ups to deeper things going on that I was disappointed when it was over and wanted to experience more.
Otherwise, knowing this was a publicly backed indie short film, I was very, very impressed by the production value from the casting, to the set design, costuming, make up effects, blood squibs, camera work/cinematography, lighting, choreography, tight editing, etc. Honestly, this was at the same level of a similar genre show on a major streaming network (maybe it'll get picked up by Netflix or Prime for a series!).
And I really enjoyed the overall experience; it was tense, the action was pretty thrilling and visceral, and the characters were (eventually, as the story developed) compelling.
I can't give it a perfect review because there is some questionable line delivery and, story-wise, it's more of a sequence from a larger story than its own, self-contained thing--and again, I think if I had read the books and knew the context better, I'd be more immersed in it.
But it definitely surprised me in good ways, I'd recommend it, and I hope it's the start of more visual Ryan Drake content!
