96 Minutes

2011 Thriller

Four young people are forced into a desperate situation as their paths cross in this independent drama. Carly (Brittany Snow) and Lena (Christian Serratos) are college students and close friends who are in an emotional funk -- Lena is struggling with the aftermath of an unpleasant breakup, while Carly's family wants her to become a lawyer and she's not sure how to stand up for her own ambitions. Their problems suddenly seem trivial when they're carjacked by Kevin (J. Michael Trautmann) and Dre (Evan Ross). Kevin, the product of an abusive upbringing, is emotionally unstable and wants to join a local youth gang; Dre, who comes from a crime-ridden neighborhood, is smart and ambitious, but he's too loyal to his friend to let him go out alone. When the carjacking goes wrong and someone gets shot, a tense negotiation takes place as everyone tries to keep the situation under control before the law steps in or someone dies. 96 Minutes was the first feature film from writer and director Aimee Lagos. more..

Director: Aimee Lagos

Starring: Brittany Snow, Evan Ross, Christian Serratos, J. Michael Trautmann, David Oyelowo

 24 Reviews  4 Awards

Reviews

  • The narrative machinery grows creakier as the plot advances, and the film is a bit too strident about some of the issues at play, but 96 Minutes is admirably knotty nonetheless.

    - Village Voice

    29 November 2012

  • Despite the over-familiarity of its once-trendy time-tripping plot structure, 96 Minutes maintains a brisk pace and generates a satisfying degree of suspense with its credibly contrived tale of disparate lives forever changed by a violent carjacking.

    Joe Leydon - Variety

    29 November 2012

  • The talented Mr. Ross makes Dre's panic and adrenaline-fueled behavior all too believable. You watch as he sees his horizons dim. What could be sadder?

    Rachel Saltz - The New York Times

    29 November 2012

  • The film cuts with such precision that there's scarcely any room to breathe; it's the rare thriller that is perhaps too tightly structured.

    - Time Out New York

    29 November 2012

  • The film feels overstuffed and overcooked, as if the filmmaker were trying to get too much out all in one go.

    - Los Angeles Times

    29 November 2012

Awards

  • Best Actress

    Boston Film Festival (2011)

  • Breakthrough Performance

    SXSW Film Festival (2011)

  • Aimee Lagos

    St. Louis International Film Festival (2011)

  • Best Editing in a Narrative Feature

    Woodstock Film Festival (2011)

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