On Fire: Cheesy Action Film Capitalizing on Tragedy is Hard to Warm Up To
By Chris Knight
Rating: C-
The intersection of Hollywood and Pandemic provided ample lessons in how NOT to respond to terrible real-world happening. To wit: Don’t make a quick, inexpensive, exploitative “inspired by true events” movie just to capitalize on tragedy.
Exhibits A and B: Songbird, produced by Michael Bay, set in the near future and featuring a disease called (sigh) COVID-24. And Pandemic, a zombie movie hastily redressed as a COVID cautionary tale, and featuring Donald Sutherland in a minor role, trying his best to give the whole operation a touch of class.
On Fire feels a lot like that second example, except that the impetus here is not contagion but the recent spate of forest fires across the globe. In place of Sutherland we get a similarly aged Lance Henriksen in a cast of otherwise lesser-known performers. He’s the eldest member of a family living in Parker (Colorado I’m guessing), who get caught in a massive forest fire.
They’re meant to be relatable, which in the screenplay by Ron Peer and Nick Lyon translates as unremarkable, even forgettable. Dad (Peter Facinelli) is struggling to make ends meet. Mom (Fiona Dourif) is eight-months-plus pregnant. Son Clay (Asher Angel) is a budding track star.
When the fire arrives, it’s fast, furious and apparently capable of an emotional response to being goaded. How else to explain the scene in which a frustrated Clay screams “Fuck you, fire!” and damned if the inferno doesn’t redouble its efforts to come after him.
There’s also an unintentionally goofy shot of the family dodging a licking tongue of flame, in slow motion no less. It’s not quite on par with outrunning an explosion, but it’s close. Oh, and while we’re talking risible moments, how about Mom moaning: “This is the worst night of my life!” You don’t say.
As the family ricochets through the burning landscape, dealing with video-game-like impediments — a fallen log, an exploding propane tank, a stalled truck — we’re occasionally treated to scenes of a 911 operator (Ashlei Foushee) who’s just started on the job as is now facing a literal trial by fire. Place your bets now on whether her story will somehow intersect with that of the main protagonists.
Here’s an interesting fact: On Fire was co-directed by its star Facinelli, who stepped in when prime director Nick Lyon came down with COVID. When catastrophes collide...
On Fire. Directed by Nick Lyon and Peter Facinelli, Starring Peter Facinelli, Fiona Dourif, Asher Angel and Lance Henriksen. In theatres September 29.