Bullet Points: Calm Like a Bomb

Have you ever watched an action movie and thought that it would have been much better without some of the annoying dialogue? We have all heard those cringey lines or obvious exposition dumps that can make our enjoyment dwindle. I know countless times I have thought it is better to show rather than say. But is it really? The 2021 movie Calm Like a Bomb will put that theory to the test as it fills its 82 minute runtime with no dialogue! 

• Plot (From What I Can Piece Together) –  Calm Like a Bomb is about a man getting revenge on three men who attacked his wife?/girlfriend? at least from what is shown. We see our hero going after these men who we see drinking, doing drugs and having sex for most of the movie.  We are supposed to not like these guys? Wait, I just saw a flashback where they three bad guys rape our hero’s lady to a techno beat. Yep, they are scum. How does our hero find out who did it, especially when the woman ends up dead? Why am I questioning a movie with no dialogue?
• Be Careful What You Wish For – Having less dialogue and more action might seem like a great idea but you need to be mindful of one major thing. You can’t take your eyes off the screen. You always need to be watching because there isn’t the dialogue to keep you informed. If your eyes are always going to be on the screen the screen better be pretty enthralling. Does Calm Like a Bomb deliver? I hate to be on the fence but it depends.

• Style Over Substance – Calm Like a Bomb fills the screen with unique visuals to keep the audience entertained. Be prepared for substantial up close shots, cuts upon cuts, nonlinear storytelling and poorly lit shots with lots of color grading. Your enjoyment of the film will depend on your enjoyment of film that more resembles an arthouse movie than a big budget action movie.
• Far From Silent – Just because there is no dialogue doesn’t mean Calm Like a Bomb is quiet. There is some minor background mumbling and a few exclamations and some grunting, but the rest is music and sound effects. The entire movie has a soundtrack that I can only describe as a mixture of electronic, techno, house, trance, world music and jarring sound effects. The music really sets the mood for each scene and is one way to add to the emotions without any dialogue. 

• Action – But what about the action I hear you say. There is definitely action in Calm Like a Bomb, but is really one sided revenge murders by our hero with only the final of the three murders having a small chase. I can’t get upset with any movie that features a bad guy puking in a grimy bathroom followed by getting a bullet to the brain.

Calm Like a Bomb is a unique viewing experience that is not for everyone and you better understand what you are getting into before you watch. It is definitely not a popcorn action movie where you sit back and turn off your brain. There is experimentation happening and not every experiment turns out successful. There is a lot to like about Calm Like a Bomb, it proves the dialogue is not always needed to me and I loved the ending. There is also a lot not to like, the cuts and close ups can be tough to watch and figure out what is happening and there isn’t 82 minutes worth of story. Is Calm Like a Bomb worth watching? That is for you to figure out but at least you will have an idea of what to expect if you take the plunge. I know you are expecting a little more so here are some Calm Like a Bomb Bonus Bullet Points.

• Rogue One – Calm Like a Bomb was written and directed by Mauro Russo Rogue and I commend him for trying something different from the establishment… or should I say… going rogue!
• Also Known As – Calm Like a Bomb is also known by the acronym C.L.A.B. and that is actually what we see in the opening and closing credits.
• Rage Against the Machine – C.L.A.B. missed a real opportunity to have the Rage Against the Machine song “Calm Like a Bomb.”
• Favorite Quote –