AT its core James Dylan’s debut film, [Cargo], feels like a tight concept piece. One man trapped in a cargo container with a cellphone and 24 hours to raise $10 million. Confining a 1h 19m film to a single room naturally forces inventive filmmaking techniques to keep the plot flowing and audience engaged. However, acknowledging the creative maneuvers is the best you can do for [Cargo] because, its execution is understandably not up to par.

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From the opening scene you sit trapped inside the container alongside Anthony Peterson (Ron Thompson); a setting that becomes quite familiar. The lack of extraneous action or actors in any scene forces a critical eye onto the presentation, and that extra scrutiny works against it. Audio clipping off at the end of lines, uninspired voice-over work, and Ron Thompson hamming it up in an effort to inject life into the dimly lit room all plague the film. Adding to the amateur atmosphere, the threats made by Peterson’s captors come across as comical at best and cringe inducing at worst. In an effort to make the dialogue more authentic, Dylan went too far.

At times you physically feel the script clumsily covering up plot holes. Oddly enough the only scene not combed for consistency could benefit the most from it. After the removal of his teeth, there was no lasting change in speech, and when the camera focuses in on Thompson’s mouth again everything appears fine. For a film that was so quick to explain away why a cellphone could still work after an electrocution, it comes across as a rather large oversight and something I would have liked to see Dylan explore. Moreover, without any other characters to show, the twists and turns coming from Peterson’s personal contacts always seem forced. As soon as the drama appears to settle, rest assured another betrayal awaits.

One of the more interesting aspects of [Cargo] comes with the dynamic camera movement throughout the film. When you hear a car peel out, crash, or swerve on the other end of the phone, the camera inside the container moves to match. While not perfect and at times too exaggerated for my tastes, the movements add an interesting wrinkle to the setting. Unable to follow the traditional “show don’t tell” rule due to the self imposed constraints of the film, Dylan does the next best thing and adds a genuinely nice touch to the film’s admittedly borrowed conceit.

A less original and frankly unearned touch was the cliché lighting imagery at the end of the film. I won’t say much for the sake of spoilers, but the film’s final turn comes out of left field. It needs several more scenes of character development, or at least some time to cool off from the climax. As presented it feels like something ripped straight out of the The Room.

Thorsten Quaeschning from Tangerine Dream (known for Grand Theft Auto V, Legend, Risky Business, Thief, and more) helms the soundtrack with his band Picture Palace Music. I can’t say any of the tracks stand out but, regardless of my nitpicking the original soundtrack is a truly nice touch; adding a well produced epic (sometimes too epic?) undertone to the affair.

I appreciate [Cargo] as a young director’s indie debut. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it. The film has merit, and director James Dylan appears to have a bright future, but he still needs to find his style and perfect his craft. With a cleaned up script, tighter cinematography, and a few more hours tweaking audio, [Cargo] could stand as a fine film regardless of indie status. However, right now the rough acting and technical aspects hold it back. Film geeks who enjoy seeing budding directors get their starts should give [Cargo] a watch; otherwise, pass.