Munro Chambers is making his name known as one of Canada’s great young talents and it is roles like this that is solidifying that reputation.

After serving a six-year sentence in prison, Tyler Richards is a free man. His best friend Justin, an aspiring fashion designer comes to pick him up. After eating lunch, Justin tells Tyler that a party is going to happen at a sharehouse in his honor. Tyler is reluctant, but ultimately decides he wants in. He learns that this was the idea of both Justin and his ex-girlfriend Kate. When Kate sees Tyler, she is overjoyed to see him, but she is in a relationship with Zachary, who is seen as a deadbeat to Justin.

Two more friends, Allison and Pete show up. Allison, a single mother, brings her 6-year-old daughter while Pete brings his domineering girlfriend, Michelle. As Tyler slowly begins to realize that his friends begin to complain about their lives had turned out, he begins a slow descent into getting angry. He resents some for never visiting him while he was in prison. In a twist of irony, he reminds the group that it was he who took the rap for them the night his life changed and at dinner, things finally come to a head where truths are revealed and the once reunited bond between friends is destined to break.

Written by Steve Hellman and directed by Josh Marble, this film is about how when one takes the rap for a group of friends and they don’t show any gratefulness towards him or the lives they live now, he has a reason to blow his lid. The film’s driving force is Munro Chambers, whose central character of Tyler experiences how life in prison has not only changed him but those around him as well. While Tyler was stuck in prison, he thought his friends would be living better lives as he took the fall but sees there isn’t a shread of gratefulness from virtually anyone, with the exception of perhaps one character.

The only character Tyler is comfortable around is Justin, played by Ronald Buck III. It is clear Justin cares the most about Tyler and convinces him throughout the film to just relax and enjoy himself. Justin is also the one friend who has been there the most for Tyler during the six years while former friends Kate, Allison, and Pete all moved on without a care. While this trio seems to be happy to see Tyler again, they seem miserable with how their lives turned out but its nothing compared to what Tyler had to go through and in some way, this insults Tyler.

If there is one catalyst for the drama that ensues, it’s Kate’s current boyfriend Zachary, played by Jonathan Dylan King. When he and Tyler are outside having a conversation, it sets off the series of events that finally cause Tyler to snap. Zachary is seen as a loser as he holds no job and yet, he is engaged to Kate. He is the one who causes tension between all the friends, even nearly going to blows with Peter at one point. If there’s an award for scumbag of the film, it goes to this character. Thankfully, nothing goes as crazy as expected towards the finale and Tyler knows eventually who he can trust and can’t trust.

Taking the Fall churns out one of the best performances from Munro Chambers as an emotional man who deals with coming out of prison and learning who his real friends are and who aren’t. He should definitely do more roles like this.

WFG RATING: A

A Long Board Productions film. Director: Josh Marble. Producers: Chris S. Alexander and Josh Marble. Writer: Steve Hellmann. Cinematography: Chris S. Alexander. Editing: Steve Hellmann.

Cast: Munro Chambers, Ronald Buck III, Katie Gill, Avalon Penrose, Chris Sturgeon, Jonathan Dylan King, Kristin Zimber.