Emile Hirsch Channels His Inner Nicolas Cage In WALDEN

BY CHRIS HAMMOND

WALDEN

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Shane West, David Keith
Directed By: Mick Davis 
Written By: Mick Davis
Uncork’d Entertainment

A court stenographer hears and records it all in the courts, they are the silent witness to all crimes. In the case of Walden Dean (Hirsch), he hears all the injustice that happens within the courtroom walls. When he is diagnosed with a terminal illness (brain tumour), that rage and anger for all the guilty criminals that have walked away scot-free boil over.

WALDEN is one of those movies where it just entertains. There’s just something about it, maybe good writing and direction from Mick Davis or possibly the performance from Hirsch, who puts on an extravagant over-the-top performance. He plays Walden with a controlled inner aggression. He’s obsessed with his job and when he gets a terminal illness diagnosis, things spiral out of control in his world.

Hirsch puts on a thick yet soft southern twang for his portrayal of the court stenographer. His facial expressions border on Cage-esque. He’s not the only cast member to shine though in this little film. Shane West plays Detective Bill Kane. He’s a level-headed family man who is hot on the trail of a serial killer who targets kids. Kane is friendly with Walden and a mentally challenged man by the name of General George (Luke Davis). West does a balancing act between Detective and family man in his portrayal.

It was a pleasure seeing character actor David Keith back on screen as the stern yet compassionate Judge Boyle. Boyle is just the type of character that Keith can really sink his teeth into. There are layers to this type of character and wow, Keith’s performance is entertaining. He shares a fair bit of screen time with Hirsch and seeing them both perform together really ignites this film.

Davis has written and directed an interesting thriller, which keeps the audience guessing all the way through. Watching Hirsch delve into darkness shouldn’t be so fun, but it definitely is.

WALDEN is a movie that may get lost in the shuffle, but make no mistake, this film is worth checking out. The cast is entertaining, and the story is interesting. Watch Hirsch go over the top and still make it believable in this mixed-genre film.

Uncork’d Entertainment will release the horror, thriller feature film WALDEN in select theaters on November 10, 2023, and On Demand and Digital on December 12, 2023