ReelBob: ‘Soundwave’ ★★½

By Bob Bloom

Science fiction movies involving time travel or time manipulation mostly are interesting exercises for filmmakers who must devise fresh ideas to carry their projects.

“Soundwave” is no exception. Writer-director Dylan K. Narang has created a concept involving hearing the past, instead of traveling to it.

The film is more a thriller-chase feature with sci-fi elements that despite some loose threads that remain dangling holds your interest throughout its 96 minutes.

Ben (Hunter Doohan) is a young man who has created a radio device that can pick up voices from the past. He explains that soundwaves are all around us and never disappear, you simply need to find the correct voice, frequency and approximate date and time to pick up specific conversations.

Ben, who works in a radio and electronics repair shop, invented his device not for monetary purposes to seek answers — when, where and, most importantly, why his father disappeared.

Ben lives with Antonio, the owner of the shop, which is barely scraping by.

To supplement the store’s meager income, Ben uses his device to help Macy, a police detective, investigate homicide cases.

Macy continually badgers Ben to go public and sell or market his device, repeatedly telling him how it could impact and save lives.

Ben, though, is adamant, remaining singularly focused on discovering answers about his father.

The insistent Macy, despite Ben’s attitude, introduces him to a shady character who calls himself John, who wants the device for his boss — a local crime lord.

John, whose real name is Frank Dodgson, a career criminal, refuses to take no for an answer and sends his goons to get Frank and his invention.

Many aspects of “Soundwave” are sketchy on details, most notably, how Ben created his device, his relationship with Antonio and why Macy would hook him up with a criminal organization.

The characters are thinly drawn, and, because of the film’s limited budget, the sets are small and cramped, and outside shots were filmed on deserted streets and alleys.

Doohan’s Ben is a soft-spoken, principled individual. He also is basically a loner. He also is a bit creepy, sitting on the roof of the store and listening to the many voices in the city. He is a bit of an audio voyeur. Doohan highlights Ben’s single-minded passion; solving the mystery of his father.

That, unfortunately, is one of the movie’s drawbacks; a lot of time is spent with Ben pumping others for information about his dad, yet the resolution of this subplot is one of the most frustrating aspects of “Soundwave.”

Considering the shoestring budget, he must work with, Narang does a yeoman’s job making the film look more expensive.

“Soundwave” is taut; no moments seem wasted. It’s a nifty little picture that, despite some shortcomings, will capture your imagination.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOUNDWAVE
2½ stars out of 4
Not rated, graphic images, violence