Where to watch Lower Level
1 1/2 Stars
A depressive woman who is happening through difficult times becomes the object of desire of a security guard who reads her diary and is then obsessed her sexual fantasies.
Lower Level is a movie I’ve been trying to track down for some time. My affection for the work of lead actor and American Ninja star David Bradley enticed me to give this film a chance. I grew up with the Cannon Films library, and Mr. Bradley was a role model and inspiration to me in my early teenage years. Over the decades, I’ve tried to track down all of his movies, and Lower Level was one that was difficult to acquire. Now that I’ve seen the film, I’m saddened that there is one less David Bradley flick left in the world for me to discover.
Fans beware Lower Level is not an action film; instead, it’s a suspense thriller with a story by Joel Soisson and cinematography by Oscar-nominated Wally Pfister. Elizabeth Gracen, of Highlander: Raven fame, is the object of obsession for Bradley’s character. An abandoned corporate building is the film’s sole setting, and the script makes good enough use of the environment and its possibilities for set-ups and payoffs that Lower Level remains watchable even in its absurd moments.
David Bradley retired from the screen in the late 90’s, and I’m sure he has a compelling reason for making that decision. Audience tastes changed in the early 2000’s, and the martial arts action stars of the previous era were considered passe and out of fashion. Perhaps Mr. Bradley saw this shift coming and got out at the right time. Lower Level defied my limited expectations with its well-cast three leads and a few clever sequences.
Directed by: Kristine Peterson
Written by: Hillary Black (story by), W.K. Border (story by), Michael Leahy (story by), Joel Soisson (screenplay by)
Starring: David Bradley, Elizabeth Gracen, Jeff Yagher, Shari Shattuck