Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:52 pm
This is a mixed bag. Three big words apply to this movie like few others: Suspension of disbelief.
A security system installer goes to setup a house for a family moving in and decides to rob them. He's doing this to help his family out of a financial situation with bad people. The problem is that when he returns he finds that someone else has also targeted the family, but it's not a robber. It's a serial killer.
This movie is a great example of a film not being well thought out.
For one thing, the "family in financial trouble" subplot was totally unnecessary and dragged the movie to a crawl. If the goal was to create sympathy for the main character, that could have been achieved in different ways without using so much screen time.
In fact, that subplot is the only characterization in the film. Hell, it's the only explanation of anyone's actions, period.
The killer is the prime example of the film's dissociative identity disorder. His MO is...lacking in the logic area. It simply makes no sense. He is where your suspension of disbelief will be tested like never before. Why?
(Spoilers in the bullet points below, so skip them if you'd like to see the film.)
-His MO changes from the start of the film to the end.
-None of his actions are ever explained, and they really, really need to be considering his methods.
-Why capture people, and then fill their house with elaborate traps? Who does he want to fall into these traps? If he's worried about intruders, why are there traps upstairs?
-Why are the traps so deadly if he's into torture? (Think Saw meets Home Alone.) [Side note: The people behind this film made Saw 4-6.]
-Where did he find time to set these traps up?
-At what point did he scout these people out to know what their schedules would be like, where they keep self defense items, etc.?
-How much did all this stuff cost?
-How does he clean up the mountain of evidence that would be left behind?
Beyond the flaws in logic, there is an entertaining film here...as long as your brain is set to "off".
I do want to give a shout out to the direction. While the pacing is a bit shaky, the director did a good job of helping the audience see how two people could keep missing each other in a house (up until the guy yelling out the window that doesn't get noticed). Also, there are a few pretty beautiful shots, particularly in the scene where the family is moving in and all the workers are there.
The performances were unspectacular aside from the lead who did a good job.
Oh, and I should mention, it's pretty predictable right from the beginning as to who the collector is and how the movie is going to end. And why the fuck is the killer invincible?
I'm quite certain they're trying to create a new Jason, Freddy, Michael, Jigsaw, etc. I'm just not sure his gimmick is cool enough to do that.
This is probably worth checking out for horror fans despite its flaws. Nobody else need bother.
4 out of 10.
A security system installer goes to setup a house for a family moving in and decides to rob them. He's doing this to help his family out of a financial situation with bad people. The problem is that when he returns he finds that someone else has also targeted the family, but it's not a robber. It's a serial killer.
This movie is a great example of a film not being well thought out.
For one thing, the "family in financial trouble" subplot was totally unnecessary and dragged the movie to a crawl. If the goal was to create sympathy for the main character, that could have been achieved in different ways without using so much screen time.
In fact, that subplot is the only characterization in the film. Hell, it's the only explanation of anyone's actions, period.
The killer is the prime example of the film's dissociative identity disorder. His MO is...lacking in the logic area. It simply makes no sense. He is where your suspension of disbelief will be tested like never before. Why?
(Spoilers in the bullet points below, so skip them if you'd like to see the film.)
-His MO changes from the start of the film to the end.
-None of his actions are ever explained, and they really, really need to be considering his methods.
-Why capture people, and then fill their house with elaborate traps? Who does he want to fall into these traps? If he's worried about intruders, why are there traps upstairs?
-Why are the traps so deadly if he's into torture? (Think Saw meets Home Alone.) [Side note: The people behind this film made Saw 4-6.]
-Where did he find time to set these traps up?
-At what point did he scout these people out to know what their schedules would be like, where they keep self defense items, etc.?
-How much did all this stuff cost?
-How does he clean up the mountain of evidence that would be left behind?
Beyond the flaws in logic, there is an entertaining film here...as long as your brain is set to "off".
I do want to give a shout out to the direction. While the pacing is a bit shaky, the director did a good job of helping the audience see how two people could keep missing each other in a house (up until the guy yelling out the window that doesn't get noticed). Also, there are a few pretty beautiful shots, particularly in the scene where the family is moving in and all the workers are there.
The performances were unspectacular aside from the lead who did a good job.
Oh, and I should mention, it's pretty predictable right from the beginning as to who the collector is and how the movie is going to end. And why the fuck is the killer invincible?
I'm quite certain they're trying to create a new Jason, Freddy, Michael, Jigsaw, etc. I'm just not sure his gimmick is cool enough to do that.
This is probably worth checking out for horror fans despite its flaws. Nobody else need bother.
4 out of 10.