In Theaters and Digital

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Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell?  That is the question that writer/director Jenni Ivers (The Cabin) attempts to answer when the gene for violence has been discovered.  Suddenly, mass hysteria takes hold across the major cities of America as people are tested and marked with or without.  In a matter of days, the beginning of a New World Order takes the stage and, quite unexpectedly, we find ourselves in the middle of a Biblical battle that has long been dormant.

Welcome to the BIG IDEAS of Loophole. 

One might think that a little over 80 minutes is not enough time to satisfactorily tell the tale of one college student’s brush with destiny as she suddenly finds herself caught in an EPIC battle of good against evil up where the angels fly, but it is in fact the economics of this low budget slice of science fiction by way of religion that makes it tick and tock. 

Levi Smith (Chloe Lukasiak, Center Stage: On Pointe), in the coarse of one afternoon, finds herself at the very center of the blood mapping debate when a spiritual bodyguard of sorts, Riley (Deven Bromme), steps from within the darkness of a whole lot of national confusion to provide protection for her and her friend, Emma (Gabrielle Valladares).  Due to the new rules of registering via blood, it is soon discovered that through bloodlines, a key relation of Levi’s is none other than Judas Iscariot himself. 

AND a lot is riding on that fact to help Lucifer himself return to Heaven as KING.  The Prince of Darkness no more for this evil dude.  Thanks to the help from Asael (Mark Shrader) and a whole host of other spiritual bad guys, the devil is going to get his due . . . even if he has to wait a while for it to happen. {googleads}

Co-starring Kera O'Bryon and Bubba Ho-Tep’s Timothy E. Goodwin, Loophole is a very interesting film that asks deep questions about a person’s willingness to commit a crime and whether he or she has any control before leaping to the heavens with its theology.  We even get a nice backstory, filling us in on all things Genesis-like via a super cool animated backstory told in the middle of the film.  The artistry on display during this segment is rich and not unlike the coolness of 1978’s animated Lord of the Rings film developed by Ralph Bakshi and his rotoscoping tools.  It is a sequence that damn near MAKES the film. 

The film might be a little too “all over the place” for its own good – especially when it adds the buddy investigating prowess of a New York Times reporter, Lily (Jessica Shannon), who won’t take no for an answer and her college-age reluctant sleuthing partner – but it goes along at a nice clip most of the time.  The comedy of this duo is largely needed, too.  It just leaves our heroes in the throes for far too long to build a sense of momentum. 

The only issue with the flick that I have is that, with all the emergencies happening around the main cast, NONE of the scenes – especially the finale (which is all stylized slow motion) – comes across with much urgency at all.  Even the performances, especially from the younger cast members, are especially lacking in tension and insistence.  Ultimately, this leaves the audience still pondering the complexities of the situation far beyond the actual scene.

That being said, this movie WILL find an audience as it provides some thought-provoking questions about a widespread WHAT IF? moment in American history. 

Loophole premieres on VOD January 8, 2019 from High Octane Pictures.  Let the blood mapping begin!

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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 86 mins
Director: Jenni Ivers
Writer: Jenni Ivers
Cast: Chloe Lukasiak, Timothy E. Goodwin, Davis Osborne
Genre: Sci-fi
Tagline: Violence is to be human.
Memorable Movie Quote: "If this strand is in your DNA, you WILL commit a violent crime."
Distributor: High Octane Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: January 8, 2019
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: No details available.
Synopsis: The gene for violence is discovered, setting off a demand for world-wide testing, promoting the belief that these people will commit a violent crime. College student Lexi Smith finds herself in the middle of a collision between science and religion where all of humanity hangs in the balance.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Blu-ray Details:

No details available.

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