Critics reviews

[An] admirably spare noir... Story-wise, nothing in Glass Chin will surprise you. But stylistically, the film’s got something cool going on. Buschel shoots his scenes largely in long takes that are notable as much for the things they leave out as the things they leave in.

There really is nothing new under the Sun, especially in the realm of neo-noirish flights of fancy like this. But the true measure of a good tale is in the telling, and writer-director Noah Buschel spins [Glass Chin] in an unexpected, ultimately satisfying fashion.

Punchy dialogue, sharply drawn characters and excellent performances fuel “Glass Chin"... It’s the kind of terrific little indie that not so long ago might have gone quite a few rounds on art-house screens before hitting other viewing platforms... That Buschel’s gifted cast... so deftly runs with [his] dynamite script adds immeasurable pleasure. Don’t miss it.

Despite an appealing fondness for New York locations and habits, Mr. Buschel and his cinematographer, Ryan Samul, have embalmed their film in style. J. J.'s ostentatious speeches feel like a projection of self-conscious cleverness, and the film's virtuoso lighting doesn't always match up to the needs of a scene.

[Glass Chin] rolls implacably forward on the strength of its script and performances... Even the static cinematography pays off, with a beautiful mirrored pair of excruciatingly slow tracking shots at a crucial moment. But the standout is Billy Crudup, who singlehandedly resurrects the idea that a noir villain should be fun, channeling the gleeful, malevolent charm of Kirk Douglas in Out of the Past.

Buschel’s script is pure pulp poetry and easily the best thing about a pic that’s not quite flashy enough to transcend its low-budget origins... Not selling out clearly matters for the indie writer-director, who has assembled this modest tragedy as a testament to personal integrity.

Buschel cleverly evokes the struggles of being fresh and inventive while also beholden to a classical genre. Visually, there's a sense that the director is a bit too curt with some of his more inspired framings, but then, Glass Chin is powered by how viscerally direct and spontaneous the film feels, like that last, swift jab that puts an opponent on the mat.

“Glass Chin” feels more fully realized conceptually than the broad majority of low budget American indies... A back-to-the-basics throwback that nonetheless contains more than its fair share of bravura directorial choices and performative turns, “Glass Chin” confirms Buschel to be among the most interesting voices lurking in the margins of American cinema.

Although the film is redolent of any number of ’40s- and ’50s-era thrillers, Buschel is less interested in the plot mechanics than in conveying a despairing mood... But despite its impressive formalistic rigor, the film fails to connect on an emotional level, with even the tragic ending failing to move us as it should.