| Natural Reaction |
GENRE: Thriller.
STATUS: In distribution. Natural Reaction is available on the Artemis Motion Pictures #WomenKickAss Content Library (an online movie platform focusing on action movies featuring empowering women), and the Roku TV channel All Hawaii TV. In addition, it also appears on on YBS’ own online movie platform, Serenergy, and has also been uploaded to the online movie distribution company, Filmhub, where it has been picked up by Amazon Prime Video, and the online movie platforms, Popsy on Plex, Tubi, TCL, OTT Studio, Cineverse, fuboTV AVOD, Geoflixz+, and Xumo. Natural Reaction was at one time in the process of being distributed by two particular platforms obtained through Filmhub which focus on the distribution of DVDs. Working with e-commerce sites like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, Allied Vaughn reaches millions, and is the most prominent player in the physical distribution of DVDs used by major studios, including Warner Brothers. Midwest Tape is the top provider of physical media DVDs to thousands of libraries across North America and beyond. However, this arrangement had to be discontinued when both platforms elected not to distribute. With respect to Amazon Prime Video, Filmhub has an agreement with Amazon which allows all movies accepted to be available to numerous countries. These countries appear below in a screen shot of Filmhub’s channels page.
While no longer on these platforms, the movie was also previously on Mometu (discontinued), Nuclear Home Video (discontinued), Stash Movies on YouTube, Gan Jing World, and the Udu Digital. Natural Reaction was also accepted into, and appeared in, the online Lift-Off Global Network 2020 Sydney Film Festival, and 2020 Melbourne Film Festival (see official selection laurels below).* The movie was also accepted into the 2016 Artemis Women In Action Film Festival in Santa Monica, California; which “… celebrates action films and the women who kick ass in them.”
*Note: Lift-Off’s Film Festivals, like all other film festivals, are usually screened in the host city with attendees who watch the films as well as attend pre and post festival activities. Due to the pandemic of 2020 these festivals were screened solely online.
Natural Reaction was also accepted to and screened in the 2022 London Lift-Off Global Network’s Online Film Festival, the 2023 Berlin Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Manchester Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Austin Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Tokyo Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Toronto Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 New York Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Los Angeles Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, the 2023 Paris Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival, and the 2023 Amsterdam Lift-Off Global Network Online Film Festival.
LOGLINE: Enraged that the law can’t keep her sister’s murderer in prison, a woman lures a serial killer onto a hiking trail at night where she plans to exact her revenge.
IMDb: Natural Reaction
An Alternate Poster That Appears On Certain Online Movie Platforms
This action thriller, shot in just 11 days, was filmed predominantly amidst the natural beauty of Ho`omaluhia Botanical Gardens in Kaneohe, Hawaii, in 2014. Financed by Executive Producer and lead actress, Ana Jimenez McMillan, who approached YBS to develop a movie project for her. Huddling with filmmakers Jon Brekke and Eric Nemoto, the resultant story concept involved a woman pushed to her limit when the man who raped and killed her twin sister is freed due to a technicality, which prompts her to take matters into her own hands by transforming herself into a butt-kicking vigilante. It stars Ana Jimenez McMillan as Rita, the woman bent on taking her revenge, and Troy Ignacio, as Vincent, the serial killer.
The Trailer For Natural Reaction – Created By Earl-Louis
The title of the movie was conceived by Ana herself, who felt the character’s response was a kind of “reaction” to the circumstances she faced. “RXN,” which in chemistry is an abbreviation for reaction, was something she thought could be part of the title, so the initial working title was, “Natural RXN.” This was eventually lengthened to its eventual title, Natural Reaction, but the RXN acronym was eventually written into the story. Once the story concept was agreed to the writing began. Eric wrote the screenplay in two weeks, and this essentially became the production script utilized on set with some variations in dialogue. Jon served as director and editor, and the project received great help from Ross Okamura (Audio Bytes Corporation), who handled the audio post production. Eric, Ana, and Jon appear in the inset photo, taken while on set during the movie shoot in 2014.
Rita Dons War Paint – A Teaser Of Things To Come (Edited By Denny Hironaga & Jon Brekke)
As the movie opens we find Rita, in a state of almost catatonic depression. Phone messages she never returns alert us to the fact that something terrible had happened in the past.
Rita Begins The Movie In A Traumatized State
Finally answering a call from her brother-in-law Jonathan (Jim Aina) reveals his concern for her getting out of the house and confirming that he will drop his kids off with her for the weekend. Rita responds that she’s continuing to see her therapist, tries to dabble in her art to occupy her time and consistently goes running.
The Opening Credits
A detective, Mark (Theo Coumbis), visits her when she’s out running and is informed by Rita’s neighbor, Heather (Tiffany Rose Brown), that she’s not home. We discover through their dialogue that Rita’s sister was raped and murdered by a man, Vincent, who is freed due to technicalities, and is living in a shack near to Rita’s house. Rita can’t help but be drawn to Vincent on her runs and asks him, “Why can’t you just leave us alone?” Vincent, a pathological killer, has no sense of remorse and on the contrary, openly taunts Rita.
Did You Feel Anything?
At night, Heather visits Rita and tells her that she’s concerned that she’s withdrawing into herself, and that she would like her to get back to painting landscapes. Through their conversation we learn the depths of Rita’s grief. She and her sister Rona did everything together, and her murder not only deprives Rita of a sibling, but in fact her best friend. As Heather consoles Rita, Vincent spies on them through the window.
Vincent At The Window
The next day, Jonathan drops off his kids, Ally (Brandi Taylor) and Evan (Landon Richards), and we realize that it was his wife who was murdered. Rita will take the kids for a few days while he takes some time for himself. Rita and the kids go on a hike where she tells them that she and their mom used to play “hero and the monster.” “Your mom never liked being the monster,” Rita says, “I was always the better monster.” Meanwhile, Mark is so obsessive about Vincent being free that he confronts him in a bookstore.
What Do We do? Draw?
Mark gets in hot water with the captain for harassing Vincent and is put on leave for two weeks. Through his discussions with his partner we discover that the reason for Vincent not being behind bars is that after Mark brought him in for the murder of Rita’s sister, the forensics department let the evidence become contaminated which allowed Vincent to go free; an incident that has haunted Mark ever since. Later, Rita asks Heather to stay with the kids as she goes grocery shopping, during which time Vincent gets in the house and terrorizes them, leaving only when he hears Rita returning. At night, Mark gets the facts from Heather, who responds traumatically, “He would have killed us. He would have killed all of us.” Mark notices that of Rita’s many art pieces one looks foreboding, it has the initials “RXN.” Heather says that the acronym stands for a chemical “reaction,” and that it was only “natural” for Rita to find a way to express her deep sorrow.
Off The Clock For Two Weeks
In the early morning hours, as Mark keeps watch throughout the night, Rita leaves through the back bedroom door without anyone’s knowledge. Now turning the tables on Vincent, Rita spies on him in the dark of night. With war paint on her face, she stands in the rain and raises a knife. Her vindication is set to begin…
Rita Goes On The Warpath
In An Interview Given On A Cable Television Talk Show, Ana Talks About Making Her Movie
The Promotional Poster For Natural Reaction
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