DIRECTOR Levan Bakhia; Beqa Jguburia WRITER Levan Bakhia; Beqa Oniani; Lloyd S. Wagner STARS Scout Taylor-Compton; Christina Ulloa; Travis Van Winkle DVD & BLU-RAY 18 March
Quite the needless viewing experience, 247°F is so very lacking in content, attempts at meaningful examination are futile.
An inexplicable three-man writing team fails to draft — and this screenplay is most certainly incomplete — more than the most basic of premise: three young people are trapped in a sauna. ‘Based on true events’ is far too literal here.
Two opportunities for interesting subplot that could alleviate the tedium of watching an unlikeable trio pant and bicker were missed. There are hints at some sinisterness that prove red herring — not in any particularly quirky fashion — while one character’s suffering of an anxiety disorder due to trauma provides nothing other than purpose for the trip that lands them in trouble.
There is some hasty characterisation in an early scene that covers just one character out of the five present, that is baffling, as clearly some thought was given to its necessity. However, the realisation comes that this is purely to prelude said character’s dialogue, as he attempts to explain the physiological consequences of their entrapment to his companions. This dialogue clashes with the inanity of the remainder of the script, merely highlighting just how idle the filmmakers responsible were/are.
