Review: 'Come and Find Me' will leave you breathless

Posted Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 4:52 PM Central

by John Couture

I have to admit something here. I'm pretty sure that before I sat down to watch Come and Find Me, I had never seen Aaron Paul perform in anything, ever.

I am one of the very few people who has never seen a single episode of Breaking Bad, which is odd because it seems like something right up my alley. I had always heard that Aaron was great in the series, but it's just not something that I had ever sought out.

Now that the series is over, it is inevitable that he will start popping up in a bunch of other works and if Come and Find Me is any indication of his acting chops, I am going to have to go back and watch Breaking Bad.

The funny thing is that I have been waiting to see Come and Find Me long before I knew that Aaron Paul would be playing the lead. You see, I am a huge fan of the annual Hollywood Black List of the town's hottest unproduced scripts and I believe that Come and Find Me was on the list in 2011 or 2012.

Not only that, but the biggest reason for my excitement was that it was written by Zack Whedon, who was also making the film his directorial debut. Yes, I'm sure that you recognized that last name, Joss Whedon is his older brother. Zack is someone that I have been following for a while thanks to his involvement with Deadwood and Fringe.

So, all of that is to say that I went into this screening with high expectations and I have to say that Come and Find Me met and exceeded them. The film follows Aaron Paul's character who is seeking his girlfriend who has suddenly disappeared. As he searches for clues, he uncovers more than he ever thought and it threatens to shake the very foundation of their relationship.

And relationship is the operative word here because you would think that upon seeing the trailer this film is a paint-by-numbers thriller, but Come and Find Me is so much more. Yes, there are suspenseful moments, but the real thrust of the film is the chemistry between Aaron Paul and Annabelle Wallis.

Told through a series of flashbacks that have become very commonplace in TV today thanks to Lost, their relationship is able to blossom in front of the audience's eyes and this helps to add to the viewer's angst in hoping that he is able to find her. Rather than take away from the more action-driven scenes, these moments allow the viewer to pause and realize not only why but just how determined Aaron Paul's character is in his pursuit.

I won't give away anything in the third act because the most enjoyable aspect of the film is unpacking each and every revelation that keeps you guessing to the end. As I mentioned above, this film would probably be easily dismissed if not for Aaron Paul's performance. He really elevates the subject matter, which is quite good on its own merits, to help Come and Find Me reach a level that very few films do these days.

Annabelle Wallis also shines as the woman with a secret past and she adds a level of intimacy with the audience that helps to draw them in during the flashbacks. Interestingly, the film that I was reminded of most while watching Come and Find Me was M51986P{Memento, which was also a studio directorial debut for a young filmmaker.

If Zack Whedon is able to enjoy even half the success of Christopher Nolan, then one day perhaps we will look back at Come and Find Me with the same reverence. Come and Find Me is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.