We reviewed writer/director Harley Wallen’s previous film, Betrayed, a while back. While I wasn’t too impressed I took a look at the trailer for his latest film, Eternal Code when we got the press announcement for it. It looked good enough to get my interest.
Bridgett (Erika Hoveland, Before I Wake) is the CEO of a company that’s made an incredible medical breakthrough. However after finding out some troubling things about a prospective merger partner she wants to call off the deal. That and pull the product. Board member Oliver (Richard Tyson, Death Kiss, Black Hawk Down) however is not about to let a potential fortune escape him. He begins to plot with everyone from criminals to Bridgette’s husband Mark (Billy Wirth, Body Snatchers, War Party) to make sure the deal goes through.
As this is happening, homeless vet Corey (Damien Chinappi) delays killing himself to help Stephanie (Kaiti Wallen) a hooker who’s being roughed up by a client. When Oliver’s goons Sam (Harley Wallen) and Charlie (Scout Taylor-Compton, Halloween, Randy’s Canvas) kidnap Bridgette and Mark they’re drawn into helping their daughter Miranda (Angelina Danielle Cama) rescue them.
Eternal Code has a lot going on. Apart from the corporate espionage elements, there’s the matter of the research that’s still going on in the labs. This means there’s a lot of characters popping in and out of the story. That helps hide the fact the bigger names don’t have that much screen time. It also means we get to see familiar faces such as Mel Novak (Tales of Frankenstein, An Hour To Kill) and Yan Birch (The People Under The Stairs, Terror Tales) turn up as well.
One of my biggest complaints about Betrayed was its lack of action. Eternal Code does better in that department but I think it could have as accurately been billed as a thriller. There’s as much effort put into building suspense as dishing out the action. Either way, it’s a good film. But it may miss a good part of the audience who would most enjoy it.
At an hour and forty-seven minutes, Eternal Code runs surprisingly well. It could use a few tweaks but never really drags. It’s a solid and enjoyable film overall and a much better medical thriller than Vitals.
Eternal Code is available on digital platforms via Vision Films. A DVD release is planned for October 15th. You can check the film’s Facebook page for more information.