Review of Broken Ceiling (2018) by Alex H — 21 Dec 2018

I had no clue what to expect going into "Broken Ceiling" and so often with indie films, that can lead to a massive let down. HOWEVER, in the case of Adam Davis' latest feature I was quite pleasantly surprised with the end result. The movie, which centers around an African-American employee exacting a sort of revenge for the way white male higher ups have held her back through the years, is tactful in the way that it illustrates the horrid power dynamics still in play in the corporate world, despite the progress that's been made of late. Movies like this are incredibly important to help teach audiences about inequality in the work place, especially those audiences who either don't personally experience it, or those that do and don't realize it.

Make no mistake though, this flick is intense. Throughout the movie, it feels like you're sitting in a pressure cooker, for emotions are flying and characters are forced to revaluate their blind understanding of the world in an instant literally under the gun. You genuinely don't know what's going to happen next: Will the police arrive? Will a bullet fly? Will someone back down or act up? There are plenty of twists and luckily, none of them feel cheap in the least.

Lastly, a special shout out to actor Regen Wilson who plays head-honcho Ken Wolfe and delivers an excellent performance as the charming antagonist who is hard to hate. His performance helps to clarify and solidify why men in his position of power are able to get away with so much. As one of the other characters even says, "He's just too good a salesman." (I might have butchered that line, sorry!) Rounded antagonists with empathetic backstories make or break films for me, and I found his role to be well put together, from the writing to the acting. And that final monologue? Tragic.