★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

With a title that’s almost longer than the film itself, Events Transpiring Before, During, and After a High School Basketball Game is a wonderful representation of Calgarian cinema. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes the extremely talented Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience), this movie takes a mundane high school night and transforms it into a thematic examination of ordinary people.

It’s hard to pick what element of Events is our favourite. The stellar performances and delightfully indie comedy are certainly elements that stood out to us as being noteworthy. But the real icing on the cake is the work of DOP Guillaume Carlier. Each frame is so intentionally constructed that it renders every shot worthy of being in the trailer. The colours, framing, and blocking work together to position the audience in a voyeuristic role that almost makes one feel like they are watching everything unfold in real time.

Plus how can you not congratulate someone who managed to make a high school’s awful fluorescent lighting actually look good?

Check out our (slightly more) in depth podcast review + rating below! Podcast music by Brian K.S. Cole.