BEFORE DAWN: Familiar Fighting & Episodic Engagement

BEFORE DAWN (Blu-ray)

2024 / 101 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Princess Pepper😼

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like war movies come in waves, especially when a specific type ends up being very successful. In this case, the Australian film, Before Dawn, arrives in the wake of such recent (and masterful) World War I epics as 1917 and All Quiet on the Western Front. 

It’s also one of those moderately budgeted war movies that generally find an audience at home, either through a streaming service or going direct-to-video…the kind that almost always preface the title with “based on a true story.”

In the film, Jim Collins (Levi Miller) defies his father by leaving sheep farming behind, enlisting in Australian army with two buddies during World War I. The episodic narrative follows him and his battalion over the course of a few years. Early on, his buddies are killed, as is the brother of Private Nickels (Travis Jeffrey), setting up the only discernible story thread, in which Nickels holds Collins responsible for his brother’s death.

"You DO know we dug a latrine for that, right?"

Beyond that, it’s essentially a series of wartime incidents, some involving actual fighting, others depicting life in the trenches. Considering the budget, the battle scenes are well-staged, while the production and costume design look authentic. However, other than Collins’ compassion for others and increasing feelings of guilt, there’s nothing particularly compelling about any of these thinly-written characters, despite good overall performances.

Elsewhere, Before Dawn conveys the usual expected “war is hell” message. The film is efficiently directed and certainly watchable, though there’s nothing especially remarkable about it. True story or not, we’ve seen it all before. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

BEHIND THE SCENES - Several short promotional spots running around a minute each.

TRAILER