A terrible script which made me laugh out loud when I shouldn't!
The acting doesn't help the cause because it's also pretty weak.
At the half way point it actually does get farcical with a ridiculous scene of cartoon violence.
Daniel Peacock is the only bright spot in the cast... but even he struggles with his daft role as a private investigator.
Anyway, if you want a good laugh at other people's expense this may pass the time.
I can think of better ways to spend this budget.
21 Reviews
Great plot, let down by acting and dialogue
colinlomasox2 March 2021
You can feel a great film bubbling under the surface here. It's incredibly dark and drip feeds the narrative out brilliantly. But it's very difficult to get past the amateurish acting and awkward dialogue. For the money it cost, it is impressive. Hopefully the writers will get a bigger budget next time out to smooth over the cracks.
They did well for 10k
121mcv20 February 2021
The story is dark and the acting is average, the special effects are very cheap ...I should have given it 6 really as I did watch it to the end... some movies like Gravity (2013) are ranked 7-8/10 I haven't a clue why ... the plot this movie has is far better than Gravity.
Not good, not bad
deadgirlrising16 February 2021
I watched this the other night and really didn't care for it as I watched. But, afterwards, when I had time to think about it, I liked it better and want to watch again. The movie does a good job of presenting the problem of human trafficking without explicitly talking about it. It's a long movie. Some of the characters are rather comical. Not sure this isn't meant to be a very dark comedy. Not really much of a horror, with the exception of a few scenes. Nice twist at the end.
A fair review (finally)
A_Different_Drummer12 February 2021
Once we get past the inevitable "early-10" reviews (usually by members of the cast or maybe relatives of the caterers), and past the low-ball reviews that make a huge fuss about the budget (most indies have a low budget, which is why they are indies), we finally get a chance to look at the actual film. The first thing you notice is the runtime. Hawken did not set out to do a simple "filler" for cable because his final cut is well over 2 hours. This was a serious effort at a "genre-busting" riff on the now-popular "lost teen" niche. Except that, rather being a straightforward procedural, it breaks more of the genre's conventions than it follows. It is this aspect alone -- that the viewer cam never quite see around the next corner -- that makes NO REASONS more interesting than it would otherwise be. As for all the comments on the horror of the underlying story, wake up and smell the Evil. Anyone in law enforcement will tell you this film actually UNDERSTATES the reality.
Definitely not for everyone
Stotinumdog5511 February 2021
Wow, just wow.
I cannot say I enjoyed this film, but it definitely made me feel something.
The scene sets on what seems like a normal drama, then gets worse and worse, the characters are truly horrible all except the private investigator and the dad of the little boy.
1 hour of almost peace and serenity and 1 hour of absolute bonkers behaviour, i have sincerely not been so gobsmacked ever. People will hate this film, its a real divider, but its very different and will no doubt be acknowledged in years to come as something very chilling indeed.
I cannot say I enjoyed this film, but it definitely made me feel something.
The scene sets on what seems like a normal drama, then gets worse and worse, the characters are truly horrible all except the private investigator and the dad of the little boy.
1 hour of almost peace and serenity and 1 hour of absolute bonkers behaviour, i have sincerely not been so gobsmacked ever. People will hate this film, its a real divider, but its very different and will no doubt be acknowledged in years to come as something very chilling indeed.
Really good effort
jaxknev1 April 2021
Wass recommended this movie by a good friend and was suitbaly impressed given the low budget and the quaslity of the cast array. The story is pretty good, the shocks are really shocking. Would recommend to anyone who likes their movies on the dark side.
Better than Death Walks
bogdan-6481319 March 2021
Having watched Death Walks, then reading articles online I saw that director Spencer Hawken had created this, which he stated lived in the same universe. So I was intrigued to figure out what and how. This is not a spolier but you need to look at the last two minutes of Death Walks and the middle of the end credits of No Reasons to see the connection, thee is something really quite dark forming here that i have no idea where its going.
No Reasons which seems to have been made a bit after Death Walks is a much better more solid, better acted, better written and shot movie. It starts as a fairly inoculous drama and then progresses into something really, really horrible. And while we know these things happen we dont want to know they happen. Yet at the same time this leads to a truly soul destroying viewing experience, its not a bad movie, not by any means. But you soon discover that there are very few people to care about, each nice character turns out to be horrible. A great list of actual celebrity names rather than dodgy gangsters and reality tat these low budget Brit movies always seem to have, this is very strong pedigree, Daniel Peacock, Roland Manookian, Lorraine Stanley, Vicki Michelle and new discovery Elisha Applebaum from Netflix's popular Winx Saga.
Watch this movie, but if your longing for happy endings steer clear, this is as shocking as a Serbian Film and as calculating as Hostel.
No Reasons which seems to have been made a bit after Death Walks is a much better more solid, better acted, better written and shot movie. It starts as a fairly inoculous drama and then progresses into something really, really horrible. And while we know these things happen we dont want to know they happen. Yet at the same time this leads to a truly soul destroying viewing experience, its not a bad movie, not by any means. But you soon discover that there are very few people to care about, each nice character turns out to be horrible. A great list of actual celebrity names rather than dodgy gangsters and reality tat these low budget Brit movies always seem to have, this is very strong pedigree, Daniel Peacock, Roland Manookian, Lorraine Stanley, Vicki Michelle and new discovery Elisha Applebaum from Netflix's popular Winx Saga.
Watch this movie, but if your longing for happy endings steer clear, this is as shocking as a Serbian Film and as calculating as Hostel.
The darkest film i've ever seen
burtonbartlett12 February 2021
I've seen some films in my time, but my goodness this is without a doubt the darkest film I've ever seen.
I can see why some people are getting their knickers in a twist on this film there is dark, but this is a whole new level of dark. What a horrific rollercoaster ride of grim, which just literally comes out of nowhere all of a sudden. It may not fit in the standard definition of horror, but this is without doubt the most horrific film i've seen.
I'm uncertain if I'll ever feel clean again.
What a mind damaging film.
I can see why some people are getting their knickers in a twist on this film there is dark, but this is a whole new level of dark. What a horrific rollercoaster ride of grim, which just literally comes out of nowhere all of a sudden. It may not fit in the standard definition of horror, but this is without doubt the most horrific film i've seen.
I'm uncertain if I'll ever feel clean again.
What a mind damaging film.
Don't expect Hollywood tripe.
diytermalert12 February 2021
There are some movies you just wish you could unsee.
I will warn you now, if you would much rather feel all warm
and fuzzy at the conclusion of a movie then DO NOT watch this one.
If you proceed you will be staring pure evil in the face.
Very nasty, I like it
lucazed1 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
No Reasons begins like some sort of tv drama, it tells story of a girl who has gone missing many years ago. I had settled in for a mystery of normal proportions, but then suddenly almost halfway through the movie it goes bonkers.
The films cinematographer is clearly a genius because he opts to go from static camera clearly on a tripod, to handheld the minute the film switches from one type of movie to another.
Hawken the writer and director has delivered a solid and competently made thriller that would stay with me forever. While Lucinda Rhodes pulls of the role of her career, as the doting mother with a incredibly sinister edge. This film should be seen, to be believed, some will find it distasteful as did my girlfriend, but I felt it was an incredible adventure set in a domestic environment.
The films cinematographer is clearly a genius because he opts to go from static camera clearly on a tripod, to handheld the minute the film switches from one type of movie to another.
Hawken the writer and director has delivered a solid and competently made thriller that would stay with me forever. While Lucinda Rhodes pulls of the role of her career, as the doting mother with a incredibly sinister edge. This film should be seen, to be believed, some will find it distasteful as did my girlfriend, but I felt it was an incredible adventure set in a domestic environment.
Very good movie, just make sure your kids are asleep!
arsandell13 March 2021
I enjoyed watching this movie, acted well and was good seeing Marc Bannerman on screen again amoung others.
You can tell alot of thought has been put into this and has been shot very well.
Hats off to the Director Spencer Hawken for putting together such a good movie. Its certainly one I will remember for a long time!
Definitely not suitable for kids due to adult content.
You can tell alot of thought has been put into this and has been shot very well.
Hats off to the Director Spencer Hawken for putting together such a good movie. Its certainly one I will remember for a long time!
Definitely not suitable for kids due to adult content.
Give this man your money
carlx12322 August 2016
Some weeks ago I was fortunate enough to see Death Walks, a no budget movie with twists a plenty. Then this weekend I got to see No Reasons, a movie from the same director.
No Reasons is a slow burning drama that slowly turns from being fairly normal, to un-normal, slowly all the plots merge together like fingers. It's a freaky offering from a rookie director that really starts to show what the movies creator is capable of.
So Spencer Hawken made Death Walks for nothing, then No Reasons for around £15k, which i'm told is nothing for a film; now trust me when I say this No Reasons is a polished work of art, a screwed up work of art, but still a work of art. This makes me think what on earth could this guy do with twice that amount, three times the amount, its mind boggling.
Death Walks has a style, a kind of jolly style, No Reasons has nothing like that, its like a humanized version of a Serbian Film, every bit as screwed up.
When the end credits began to roll the audience was plundered into silence, but then a lone individual let out an expletive, and shortly afterwards, a mid credits twist that will mean A LOT to those that have seen Death Walks a huge round of applause rang out.
The music is astounding, camera-work slick, performances great.
No Reasons shows that we have a new name to watch, Christopher Nolan, your cards are marked.
No Reasons is a slow burning drama that slowly turns from being fairly normal, to un-normal, slowly all the plots merge together like fingers. It's a freaky offering from a rookie director that really starts to show what the movies creator is capable of.
So Spencer Hawken made Death Walks for nothing, then No Reasons for around £15k, which i'm told is nothing for a film; now trust me when I say this No Reasons is a polished work of art, a screwed up work of art, but still a work of art. This makes me think what on earth could this guy do with twice that amount, three times the amount, its mind boggling.
Death Walks has a style, a kind of jolly style, No Reasons has nothing like that, its like a humanized version of a Serbian Film, every bit as screwed up.
When the end credits began to roll the audience was plundered into silence, but then a lone individual let out an expletive, and shortly afterwards, a mid credits twist that will mean A LOT to those that have seen Death Walks a huge round of applause rang out.
The music is astounding, camera-work slick, performances great.
No Reasons shows that we have a new name to watch, Christopher Nolan, your cards are marked.
The darkness in everyday life
billnick6121 August 2016
This is the second film by director Spencer Hawken, and if you are familiar with his debut film Death Walks, you'll find that No Reasons is a completely different animal.
Death Walks is a relatively light comedy horror - a popcorn movie, if you like. With No Reasons Hawken has taken another path, and this path leads you to places that you really don't want to think about, let alone go.
Make no mistake - this is a dark movie.
I'm not just saying that for effect. No Reasons is not for the faint-hearted or sensitive viewer, as it deals with subjects that will make most people very uncomfortable.
The film begins with Paul (Marc Bannerman) and Sally (Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar), who are approaching the first anniversary of their 15-year-old daughter Jodie (Elisha Applebaum) going missing.
The story expands as we are gradually introduced to a bunch of mostly unsavoury characters including villain Julian (Roland Manookian), local journalist Kevin (an admirably creepy performance by Daniel Smales), down-on-his-luck private investigator Maurice (the wonderful Daniel Peacock), therapist Dr Spencer ('Allo 'Allo's Vicki Michelle), school teacher Mr Taylor (Jon Guerriero), pushy Simone (Lorraine Stanley) and assorted police officers (Louise Michelle, Scott Mullins, Alan Hitching, Peter James Hole).
I won't go into further details regarding the plot as you should discover it for yourself, but it won't surprise you to know that things are not as simple as they appear, and there's at least one horrible secret to be uncovered.
Following swiftly on the heels of the no-budget and mostly amateur-made Death Walks, No Reasons is a step up in quality in many regards. Hawken and his core crew appear to have learned a lot in a very short time.
Working with a budget meant that Hawken could hire some professional "name" actors (Peacock, Bannerman, Michelle, Manookian, Stanley) to work alongside Death Walks stalwarts Mullins, Guerriero, Smales and Holly Boeva, who all seem to have been inspired to new levels of performance by working alongside more experienced colleagues.
The film also looks more professional visually compared to the raw style of Death Walks, with impressive cinematography and some excellent location work. Tom Wolfe supplies an atmospheric score which adds so much to the downbeat mood of the film.
The opening scenes are incredibly well acted and directed, and brilliantly portray the utterly devastating effect a missing child can have on the lives of the parents. This is proper drama.
Of course this is a Spencer Hawken film, so there are twists and shocks in store as the story unfolds towards the ending, which will leave you open-mouthed and lost for words. When the final scene played out and the credits rolled, there was complete silence in the cinema. One viewer eventually broke the silence with a simple "F***ing hell."
There is a lot to the story, which unfolds gradually - tortuously even. That is probably my only issue with the film - I think it could perhaps have been tightened up a bit so that it moved along at a slightly quicker pace. I don't mind a slow burning film but a few times I found myself wanting to know more, right now! Although perhaps this could actually be a positive, that the viewer starts to feel as tortured as some of the characters!
No Reasons is almost certainly going to create some controversy. It is a bold, grim and unflinching exploration of the darker side of life that rarely shows its face to the world.
Spencer Hawken was reportedly influenced to write No Reasons by reading about two horrible real-life stories in a newspaper. He is of the opinion that tales based in the reality of everyday life are far more terrifying than those featuring fantastical and fictional creatures.
Based on No Reasons, I think he's probably right.
Death Walks is a relatively light comedy horror - a popcorn movie, if you like. With No Reasons Hawken has taken another path, and this path leads you to places that you really don't want to think about, let alone go.
Make no mistake - this is a dark movie.
I'm not just saying that for effect. No Reasons is not for the faint-hearted or sensitive viewer, as it deals with subjects that will make most people very uncomfortable.
The film begins with Paul (Marc Bannerman) and Sally (Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar), who are approaching the first anniversary of their 15-year-old daughter Jodie (Elisha Applebaum) going missing.
The story expands as we are gradually introduced to a bunch of mostly unsavoury characters including villain Julian (Roland Manookian), local journalist Kevin (an admirably creepy performance by Daniel Smales), down-on-his-luck private investigator Maurice (the wonderful Daniel Peacock), therapist Dr Spencer ('Allo 'Allo's Vicki Michelle), school teacher Mr Taylor (Jon Guerriero), pushy Simone (Lorraine Stanley) and assorted police officers (Louise Michelle, Scott Mullins, Alan Hitching, Peter James Hole).
I won't go into further details regarding the plot as you should discover it for yourself, but it won't surprise you to know that things are not as simple as they appear, and there's at least one horrible secret to be uncovered.
Following swiftly on the heels of the no-budget and mostly amateur-made Death Walks, No Reasons is a step up in quality in many regards. Hawken and his core crew appear to have learned a lot in a very short time.
Working with a budget meant that Hawken could hire some professional "name" actors (Peacock, Bannerman, Michelle, Manookian, Stanley) to work alongside Death Walks stalwarts Mullins, Guerriero, Smales and Holly Boeva, who all seem to have been inspired to new levels of performance by working alongside more experienced colleagues.
The film also looks more professional visually compared to the raw style of Death Walks, with impressive cinematography and some excellent location work. Tom Wolfe supplies an atmospheric score which adds so much to the downbeat mood of the film.
The opening scenes are incredibly well acted and directed, and brilliantly portray the utterly devastating effect a missing child can have on the lives of the parents. This is proper drama.
Of course this is a Spencer Hawken film, so there are twists and shocks in store as the story unfolds towards the ending, which will leave you open-mouthed and lost for words. When the final scene played out and the credits rolled, there was complete silence in the cinema. One viewer eventually broke the silence with a simple "F***ing hell."
There is a lot to the story, which unfolds gradually - tortuously even. That is probably my only issue with the film - I think it could perhaps have been tightened up a bit so that it moved along at a slightly quicker pace. I don't mind a slow burning film but a few times I found myself wanting to know more, right now! Although perhaps this could actually be a positive, that the viewer starts to feel as tortured as some of the characters!
No Reasons is almost certainly going to create some controversy. It is a bold, grim and unflinching exploration of the darker side of life that rarely shows its face to the world.
Spencer Hawken was reportedly influenced to write No Reasons by reading about two horrible real-life stories in a newspaper. He is of the opinion that tales based in the reality of everyday life are far more terrifying than those featuring fantastical and fictional creatures.
Based on No Reasons, I think he's probably right.
Desperately dark on a modest budget
chris-5230816 January 2021
It almost feels wrong to be saying that I enjoyed this film, given the truly upsetting subject matter. A dark and compelling tale - presented very simply and very skilfully by director Spencer Hawken.
Some truly odious characters portrayed excellently by the actors. I really enjoyed the performances of Daniel Peacock (a familiar face from many years ago to me), and also from Daniel Smales. Loved the cameo from Vicki Michelle too.
I'd recommend this film for sure.
Some truly odious characters portrayed excellently by the actors. I really enjoyed the performances of Daniel Peacock (a familiar face from many years ago to me), and also from Daniel Smales. Loved the cameo from Vicki Michelle too.
I'd recommend this film for sure.
Sickkkkk
woodenheart7611 February 2021
A decidedly dark path
Zombiegirl201623 August 2016
Having been treated to a bit of zero budget amazingness just 4 weeks earlier in Death Walks, Spencer hawken is back with No Reasons a disturbing movie weaved by the same cloth as Death Walks. To quote the character of Sally (Lucinda Rhodes) "life is not all pink fluffy clouds". Oh my goodness this is not a nice movie, truly awesome, but shocking. The first hour dawdled on by luring you into a false sense of security, the second hour grabbed you by the privates and vomited into your mouth. This is awesome to the most extreme, I cannot think of another movie that takes you quite down a dark twisted path like this one. I worry someone will let the secret out of the bag, because when it comes to twists and secrets this is the best one I've seen in a very long time. Great performances, seedy villains, female rapists... its all good family fun to the very last, somewhat shocking second.
Worth a watch had me griping to my seat
n-lock11 February 2021
No Reasons review
CliffGray81613 January 2021
Wow what can I say, having watched Spencer Hawken's other film Death Walks (a zero budget movie) this film was equally as good, the first part of the movie was 'chilled & relaxed' when it takes a dramatic turn, the leads Lucinda & Marc along with all the cast were fantastic, and to see more of my hometown of Romford in the movie was really great to see, in its own way as the story unfolds No Reasons as you watch it is twisted with all the turn of events. massive congratulations to Spencer, Lucinda, Marc, Jon, Lorraine & all the cast and crew for making a very difficult film. 10/10.
Maggots
kanankoipi-561976 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
There is a sick twist upon a sick twist upon a sick twist in this movie, you really have to pay attention to keep up. Just when you thought this is weird, then it gets even weirder.
A fair warning: this movie could be too thick for some, but against all hope, this is what could be going on in any neighborhood, decent or not.
You are left feeling like having opened a can of maggots and found - maggots, but the shocking experience should be worth watching.
A refreshing aspect with British actors instead of run of the mill Hollywood ones, you can't instantly read out who is a bad guy and who is a good guy, not that there are too many good ones here.
A fair warning: this movie could be too thick for some, but against all hope, this is what could be going on in any neighborhood, decent or not.
You are left feeling like having opened a can of maggots and found - maggots, but the shocking experience should be worth watching.
A refreshing aspect with British actors instead of run of the mill Hollywood ones, you can't instantly read out who is a bad guy and who is a good guy, not that there are too many good ones here.
See also
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