Director: Howard J. Ford
Writer: Tom Boyle
In Howard J. Ford’s The Ledge a protagonist faces a life-and-death struggle not just against nature but also the need to outsmart a group of villains with murder on their minds. It ought to make for an engaging movie but unfortunately that is not the case.
Climber Kelly (Brittany Ashworth) suffered a trauma while attempting to scale a mountain. One year after the event she returns, accompanied by her friend Sophie (Anaïs Parello), determined to overcome her fears. However, a group of four macho males are partying in the area and their leader, Josh (Ben Lamb), takes a shine to Sophie and will not take ‘no’ for an answer. In a scuffle Sophie is killed and Josh’s psychopathic control over his friends is such they agree to pursue Kelly who has not only witnessed but also recorded the murder. On the run Kelly is forced to scale a sheer mountain wall without adequate clothing or equipment and, when the murderers take a quicker route to block her escape, is stranded on a ledge at their mercy.
Director Howard J. Ford makes the most of the views of Brittany Ashworth desperately clinging to an apparently sheer cliff face to generate tension. However, his need to develop suspense leads to lapses in continuity. The murder take place at night and is followed by a chase through a suitably spooky darkened wood; yet the characters emerge in broad daylight.
Tom Boyle’s script is functional rather than involving. The backstories of the characters and key plot points are conveyed in the dialogue. We know Kelly will be able to survive exposure on the ledge because a conversation indicates other climbers have left behind equipment after giving up. The script is not without the occasional cheesy moment with Kelly’s late boyfriend offering advice in an Obi-Wan Kenobi style ghostly voiceover.
Wider themes – toxic masculinity, the corrosive effect of peer pressure- are hinted at but never explored. As a result, the characters are so flat it is hard to engage; and the set-up lacks credibility. Josh is supposed to exert tremendous influence over his friends but, instead of being a seductive, persuasive psychopath, comes across as a boorish bully. The men have been friends since schooldays, but Josh is so unpleasant one would have taken the first opportunity to escape his company.
The film loses momentum once Kelly becomes trapped on the ledge. It ought to move from a physical to a psychological thriller, with Kelly trying to outsmart her opponents possibly turning them against each other. But she changes from a very active to a passive character and is unable to move forward. This may be because of Kelly’s past trauma but there is never really a sense that tackling the villains is part of her learning to overcome her personal demons.
The final confrontation between Kelly and Josh is a disappointment. Although it is established at the opening of the movie that Kelly is a better climber, the opportunity to show her skills overcoming a physically stronger enemy is not taken. The showdown lacks the cathartic moment in which the villain acknowledges they have been beaten by someone they held in contempt.
The Ledge has a potentially interesting premise, but the film is stuck on the lower slopes and does not reach the peaks.
Signature Entertainment presents The Ledge on Digital Platforms 14th March and DVD 21st March
