Hey movie fans, Slick Dungeon here! I’ve got another independent psychological thriller/horror film to review for you. This time I watched a movie called The Plastic Men.

I was offered a screener copy in exchange for a fair review for this film. I’ll let you know what I think the strengths of the film are and where it could use some improvement. There will be spoilers but I will keep them mild. If you want to know more I’ve included the trailer below. You can find the film on Amazon on March 11th.

What is The Plastic Men about?

It’s the Vietnam war era and Johnathan Teller, played by James Preston, takes a trip with his buddy to Mexico. Unbeknownst to Jonathan, his buddy has purchased some illegal drugs. Before he knows it, Jonathan is pulled over by the cops, his buddy is dead and a judge gives Jonathan a choice. He can either go to prison for a long time or serve in the Vietnam war. Teller chooses Vietnam.

Upon his return from serving, Teller has a difficult time adjusting to everyday life. He’s haunted by things he did, sometimes prone to hallucinations, and the country looks down on his service. He turns to support groups to help but most of those men are just as traumatized as he is. On more than one occasion Teller contemplates suicide until a chance encounter changes everything for him.

The good

This film is on a shoestring budget but it’s a period piece. And it actually looks like it is set in the time it’s aiming for. The vehicles, the clothing, and even the supermarket Teller works at all feel like they are from another era. It’s nice to see such care taken in production value for a low budget film. And they make effective use of old news footage to make the time feel even more realistic.

James Preston has to go through a lot of emotion in this film, playing a man who is at the brink of a psychological break but still portraying his humanity. And he does a great job with the character. Teller feels like a real person who has a complicated background, much of which he regrets, but is trying to become a better man. And at the same time, Teller faces prejudice from the community around him, forced into a bad choice with few positive sides to it.

The film also makes good use of tried and true practical effects. There’s nothing groundbreaking here but those effects are tried and true for a reason. They work to convey the message, add a bit of shock value, and drive the story forward. There are a few images that will likely stay with you for a while after viewing.

The bad

Teller himself is a bit of an unreliable narrator. He is prone to hallucinations brought on by PTSD after all. Add to that the jumps forward and backward in time, and sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle to follow if the story is taking place in the present, past, or even in reality at all. It doesn’t ruin the film by any means but it is slightly confusing.

This is advertised as based on a true story but it’s quite hard to know how much of this is real. The film is based on an old Craig’s List ad where a Vietnam veteran was hoping to reunite with a woman who saved him from suicide decades ago. But the veteran and the woman he speaks about never identified themselves publicly after that so much of the film is still fictional. This is fine but take the “based on a true story” tag with a grain of salt here.

The ugly

There’s not a lot of ugly here. The film does hold up surprisingly well for such a low budget project. But, there are times this leans into the trope of the disturbed veteran returning home. I can’t fault the film too much for that because this is something that really does happen and especially did in the Vietnam era.

The other problem with the film lies in exactly what Teller did while serving. We get enough glimpses and pieces of it to have an idea. But it’s not altogether clear exactly what happened and why one incident in particular seems to stand out to Teller more than any other. Some of that again has to do with the fact Teller is not a completely reliable narrator but I feel the film loses some of the impact it could have had if we had a better idea of the circumstance that most haunts the main character.

Overall, these are relatively minor problems with a film like this but take them into consideration before renting.

The Plastic Men in conclusion

This film is worth watching if you like a good independent film. It’s low budget but they use all the best methods to make you forget that. Teller has an interesting story which leaves us on a pretty hopeful note.

And while much of this is clearly fictional, it does represent a lot of what the country felt upon the return of soldiers who served in Vietnam. The mundane could go from peaceful to horrible for many of these soldiers and there was a country who did not appreciate the trauma they went through. James Preston does a great job conveying the character to us. And while there are times the narrative is a bit disjointed, that doesn’t really harm the movie. So, if you’re considering renting a movie and are tired of the big budget same old stuff, give The Plastic Men a shot. At the very least, you’re supporting film makers who are trying to do something different, even if you don’t love the movie.

If you do watch the movie, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments.

Independently yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see my thoughts on another independent film? Check out my review for Thou Shalt Kill!