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Review: 86 Melrose Avenue is a hostage thriller that will blow your mind (Includes first-hand account)

Gregory Zarian in '86 Melrose Avenue'
Gregory Zarian in '86 Melrose Avenue.' Photo Courtesy of '86 Melrose Avenue'
Gregory Zarian in '86 Melrose Avenue.' Photo Courtesy of '86 Melrose Avenue'

It was written and directed by Lili Matta, and it is a gripping and compelling hostage thriller. It deals with an ex-marine, Travis (Dade Elza) who suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Travis storms into a gallery where he takes people hostages and forces them to confront their complex past and looming mortality, as time ticks by.

Emmy nominee Gregory Zarian is outstanding as Avi and his scene opposite Dade Elza is powerful, heart-pounding, and sheer bliss. Equally noteworthy is Anastasia Antonia as Nadia, who tries to sympathize with Travis given his dark traumatic past, which is something that she can relate to. Gary Sturm also delivers a moving performance as Bill, a father whose son commits suicide right in front of him.

Terri Ivens and Jim O’Heir also star as Detective Garcia and Detective Philips respectively.

Particularly impressive about this movie is that it’s neat to see each of the characters’ painful backstories revealed right before our eyes as they are confronted by Travis, and it will certainly leave viewers at the edge of their seats as they are drenched in a wide spectrum of raw emotions.

On April 20, it will be available to rent on such Video On Demand platforms as iTunes, Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube.

The Verdict

Overall, 86 Melrose Avenue is a superb hostage thriller. Compliments to Lili Matta for writing and directing such an unflinching and important story. The cast, as a whole, is remarkable and it is worthy of every accolade that it has received thus far, and then some. 86 Melrose Avenue garners an A rating.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 22,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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