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Sizzlingly Odd

In his debut feature, writer/director Mike Gan has created a small film that, if there's justice, will attain a cult-like status. "Burn" takes place in the course of one evening and entirely within the confines of a rural, out-of-the-way gas station shop.

It's the kind of place that loners might wander into for a hot cup of coffee at 3am. Obviously this is not a big budget film, but Gan squeezes an awful lot of goodness out of it. Maybe we should call it badness.

Melinda (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) and Sheila (Suki Waterhouse) are working the graveyard shift. Sheila is mouthy, attractive, and condescending. She's slightly annoying, but not evil. Melinda is an odd combination of wallflower and chatty. She is friendly to everyone in a reserved way. If you come into the shop, she heads right to you smiling and telling you her name. She is awkward but outgoing, nice but a little creepy.

A man comes in and acts uncomfortable when a cop walks in shortly afterwards. We know something's up. When the cop leaves, the man pulls out a gun and demands all the cash in the store. The man's name is Billy (Josh Hutcherson). He's young, good-looking and desperate. He is more scared than anything, and he explains to Melinda and Shirley that a gang of bikers is after him and that the money is to repay them.

From the moment Billy pulls out a gun until the end of "Burn," I found it great fun to watch, especially because of the performance by Hervey. Every scene revolves around her, and Gan does a great job of making everything feel curious and ominous. While it's not as creepy or as good as "The Hitcher," there is an underlying psychology driving it. It's a different story but somehow "Burn" reminded me of it.

All of the folks in the film act irrationally, but that's real life. People rarely behave rationally, especially during a crisis. Gan has created a wonderful little story with a breakout performance by Ms. Hervey, and while it may not make gobs of money, I can easily see this becoming a cult favorite. I think Gan and Hervey are both headed to very nice careers.