The Vault (2017)

Directed by Dan Bush. Starring Francesca Eastwood, Taryn Manning, Scott Haze, James Franco, Q’orianka Kilcher, Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Milford, Keith Loneker, Jeff Gum, Conal Byrne.

A sloppily-assembled, more-bark-than-bite bank robbery crew gets quite the surprise when they venture into the bowels of the bank for a hidden vault that’s supposed to hold millions. This lazy high-concept hybrid is a heist thriller with a supernatural horror twist that’s just as dumb and underdeveloped as the crooks. Poor lighting, blocking, camerawork, and editing obscures too much of the critical action, making it hard to keep a pin on what’s all going on and where, which turns the whole thing into a grab-bag of hammy anxiety and low-watt terror. Franco does what’s required and no more as a “helpful” bank employee, while Manning is either wildly overacting or literally overcaffeinated while essaying strung-out white trash (her early scenes appear to be warm-up for her Karen audition). Director Bush wrote the script with co-star Byrne.

28/100