The selection for Netflix Canada sucks. I know. Here is a brief review of a movie that is worth your while.
Backdraft is a 90s film with fires so large they are only rivaled by the film’s machismo. That said, the fire-fighting in the film is so dickshatteringly spectacular you probably won’t mind.
“You never know ’til the moment the fire stares you down if you’re just going to do this job, or be great at it,” we are told.
Young Brian idolizes his Father. One day during ride along, with efflorescent admiration in his eyes, he watches his Father fighting a fire before he is suddenly consumed by the blaze. This moment in Brian’s life is the start of his fear of fire, and the the movie is about his struggle to overcome his demons.
It doesn’t help that he starts off his career alongside his talented, competitive, firefighter brother Stephen (Kurt Russel). Stephen is so insufferably heroic he stares down flames with willpower.
Amidst the brotherly tension, there is an unknown firebug who is selectively targeting people with flash fires. The firebug becomes an investigation for Brian which adds mystery to the drama.
When you have Robert De Niro and Donald Sutherland as minor characters you know something inside the film is incendiary. That’s like Sidney Poitier and Daniel Day lewis playing the roles of Tank and Cypher in The Matrix.
If that concept intruiges you, so should Backdraft.
Sean Ewington is your friendly neighbourhood movie/video game critic, and comic author. He is the co-writer of the Up Up Down Down webcomic and owns and operates 2dreviews. Sean has written for various online publications like Broken Frontier and Brutal Gamer, as well as print publications including the Metro - the world's largest free daily newspaper. 