Skip Tracer tells the story of John Collins, a collections agent, whose entire job is to lean on poor people for their outstanding debts, after they have taken out predatory loans, that leave them with a lien on everything they own.
Collins' job is to get the money they owe, by any means necessary.
If they are unable to pay in the allotted time, he will shamelessly repossess all their worldy possessions, without a second thought.
He's so good at his job...that he's been "Man of the Year" at his company, for 4 years running.
But it's conditioned him to become, nothing short of, a psychopath in the process.
This year, however...he's set to face a reckoning.
As he not only gets stabbed by a hockey mask wearing culprit (which may or may not have acted as the inspiration for the Jason character from the Friday The 13th movies).
But is forced to reflect on his very nature...when his actions...lead to consequences that he simply cannot ignore.
Ultimately leading to his redemption in the conclusion of the film.
I caught this on 16mm at a Canadian National Film Day screening at my local microcinema.
Going into it with low expectations...fully expecting that it was going to be super cheesey, and all around trashy.
Only to be pleasntly surprised to find that it was actually a pretty solid film, that is both competently constructed and generally quite well done.
I must admit that I rather quite enjoyed it.
Having been shot in Vancouver, it might not be the easiest example of cultural Canadiana to find.
But if you can track it down, it's certainly a worthwhile film to watch.
As, on top of being a pretty decent film, it also acts a cool little time capsule of Vancouver in the 70's.
So definitely give it a shot if you do.
6 out of 10.
