Here’s a film sure to please nobody. The villain is a classic example of the overprivileged and unapologetic set; the “hero” of the film changes several times because precautions are for sucks, man, and everybody in the film is pissed at their parents.
But if you can work around all that, I Came By is a decent, if frustrating, thriller.
I find it a little difficult to get behind “statement art” these days. The time for statements warning us of fascism is over; the time for actively fighting fascism has been upon us since early November of 2016. So forgive me if I can’t get entirely behind the rebel who spray paints “I CAME BY” in the living room of some muckety-muck just to show: “You’re not untouchable.”
Sure, kids with spraypaint aren’t gonna do you in; all they care about is making pointed personal statements. But if the kids with the paint can get to you, well, you better just watch yourself, pal. Unless, of course, you’re untouchable, and no amount of burglary is gonna stop you from keeping some poor immigrant locked up in your basement.
The “I CAME BY” shamers appear to be just average guys; Jay (Percelle Ascott) and Toby (George MacKay, quickly becoming the dramatic English version of Matthew Lillard) are decent street artists, but not much more. Jay wants to get out of the shaming game, while Toby hasn’t yet had enough. Jay is about to be a father and it’s hard to change diapers from prison. I gotta say: the risk/reward ratio here is quite uneven. Graffiti is graffiti; I’m sure London has its share. But this pointed message involves a b&e and a suspected robbery. The whole point is making a specific powerful somebody insecure. The thing is insecure people tend to lash out; that is often a defining characteristic of the group. And these particular insecure people are hand-chosen among the powerful and, let’s face it, they’re not wrong. Imagine coming home to discover your home has been vandalized; no matter what you did to deserve such, you are not it
going to see it as getting your just desserts.
The paint thickens when Toby, by his lonesome, targets ex-Judge Hector Blake (Hugh Bonneville). Toby is interrupted by disturbing noises coming from the basement where the kid discovers a hidden room and a hidden prisoner. That’s messed up. The movie should end at this point, right? I mean, no single person should be able to get away with a prisoner in the basement, should they? Isn’t this just a call to the cops and you’re done? Or heck, how about liberating the kid yourself? How hard can it be to elude Hugh Bonneville?
I suppose that all would make the film too simple. And I Came By had A TON to say about parenting because literally every named character in the film turns out to be a disappointment to his/her/their parents. It’s so obvious at one point that I kinda felt sorry for writer/director Babak Anvari. Writing about one character with a parent issue? That’s a strategy. Writing about two characters with parent issues? That’s a plot point. Writing about five or more characters with parental issues? That’s a cry for help. That’s a cry for help in a film about human beings constantly being abused by more powerful human beings. It would be deep if it weren’t so pathetic.
I Came By is a decent thriller, but tests your patience around every corner. Whether it be characters making bad choices or the film’s general desire to destroy every one with decent intentions, I Came By left me more frustrated than satisfied. And I swear I Came By that honestly.
Graffiti artists with work none-too-shabby
Express in paint in lieu of being gabby
They’re making the rounds
On posh English grounds
I can’t wait ‘til they hit Downton Abbey
Rated TV-MA, 110 Minutes
Director: Babak Anvari
Writer: Babak Anvari, Namsi Khan
Genre: Anybody with a parent issue … come on down
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Banksy
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: MAGA
