Reviews

This movie was good. But that's all it was. I liked the whole 'crazy locals - hillbilly - cult' idea but it was quite recycled. There seemed to be two main plots when the movie only needed one. The overall message of the movie was a competition for superior masculinity and standing up to the bullies. The movie also had some good death scenes and kick-ass moments but there's nothing more to say about it. I think this movie is suitable for people slightly older than me (I'm 19) and people who favour serious movies. The acting was adequate and for the first movie I've seen Kate Bosworth in, I'm not impressed. The only bit I really liked was Aleksander Skarsgard's body.

I watched this movie last night and I thought it was terrifying - what with the creepy shadows and people, random animal attacks, dusty and dull mise en scene and jumpy sequences. The story itself is totally believable; a unknowing tour guide leads a bunch of tourists in a foreign country and he ends up prey for vicious animals. Many people are saying 'well, why were there people still there if it's an abandoned area?'.. if you wait until the end of the movie, it should all become clear. The whole feel of the movie is really creepy; it's dark, dull, dusty and abandoned. Let's just say the setting is the most effective component in the movie. The acting however, I would give a D grade for - it just wasn't that good. Apart from that, I don't have any more negatives to say about it. This movie can be compared to 'The blair witch project', 'The descent' and 'The hills have eyes', so if you like any of those movies, I suggest you watch this one. The whole realistic nature of the movie really drew me in too, seeing as the Chernobyl disaster actually happened. So did the events portrayed in 'Silent Hill' - it's a real place. Then there's the ending, to me it was unexpected, but I won't go into too much detail. Just watch it!

I thought this film was great. It had a very relevant, realistic story which I didn't find boring at all, like a lot of people did. The thing I most liked about it was the cinematography - it was very bland and added to the overall effect. It was also very jumpy and creepy, and physically left me shivering. The characters weren't particularly interesting, the most obviously striking one was Stevie - the blind girl. Her appearance was very Gothic and sunken and due to her being blind, she had a glazed over expression. The film invoked lots of different emotions in me; fear, sadness, and happiness. The whole story was pretty sad and there was a lot of scary imagery in it, which gave it a certain feel right from the very beginning.

Overall, I was very impressed with the film, although it would've been good to see something more at the end, such as some sort of communication between the final characters. It made me realise that most ghosts aren't to be afraid of, they are just trying to talk to you. The film also touched me in a big way as I've seen a ghost myself before and for some reason the film had a big impact on me.

When I first watched the trailer for this, I knew it was going to be great. Every characters performance contributes the overall feel of the movie but the ones we must pay closest attention to are Robin McLeavy's and John Brumpton's. Robin's performance is creepy, insane and very well executed. Her whole persona is totally believable as a serial killer. Her relationship with her father, John Brumpton, is dark and maybe even pushes the barriers of what's watchable, which is both a good and bad thing. I, as a viewer, were glad to not have seen her kiss her father, even though the suggestion was there, that was enough for me. The twist in the movie, where we discover what is underneath the floorboards, was very unexpected in my opinion also. There is just the right amount of sqeamish gore. Just when you think it's over, it goes back in for more; it really likes to push what's acceptable.

The film has some deeper and more serious meanings. The one that I identified was the loss of identity or lack of identity. It is clear to see that 'Princess' (Robin McLeavey) is completely mollycoddled by her father. She gets everything she wants, when she wants it from 'Daddy'. Her room is filled with soft toys and mens' torsos, cut out from magazines. Her mind is clearly still childlike and lastly, she is a complete loner in every aspect of her life, apart from when she's at home with her father. She has been torn apart by jealousy, even for her own mother, whom she calls 'Bright eyes'. She wants people to love her, and only her. Princess just wants daddy to love and accept her, and she wants to find her one true love. I wonder what her wedding will be like... Probably the same twisted scenario!

Jessica McNamee, aka Mia, mostly remains silent, doesn't smile or interact with her parents and only comes alive with vodka and marijuana. She dresses in black and does not care to look feminine. Xavier Samuel aka Brent, has his headphones in all the time, is emotionally broken since his father died and doesn't get on with his mother. I would strongly recommend watching this if you want a demented, squeamish film that is guaranteed to leave an impact on you. L x