Well, let me tell you... I had a feeling this movie was going to be good. I did not expect it to be as good as it turned out to be. This movie has it all and has it in spades.
You want gore? Check.
Suspense? Oh yeah.
Scary? Let me put it to you simply: this is a movie that will make you think twice about going to Mexico and doing a little sightseeing in the forest.
It's a very grim movie and not for the squeamish but still it doesn't stop this from being one of the most entertaining times I've had at the movies this year so far. The acting though, is what makes this one head and shoulders above most other fright flicks I've seen in years. There was not one bad performance in this and it really helps to sell a premise that could've crashed under its own weight at any second. The idea of it might sound a little silly but I was totally engrossed in it from the moment the crap hits the fan in the film. You feel the despair of the characters in this story and you really, really want to see them make it out of this in one piece.
In the end, you know how I know this movie was really good? What kind of proved it in a weird way? The audience's reaction. I saw it in a packed theater tonight, filled with dozens of teenagers and none of them, not one, had any smart ass comments during the film. You know how a character in a film will deliver a heartfelt line of dialogue only to be received by the audience with snorts and yells of disgust? It didn't happen once. When I glanced at the audience behind me, all of them were grabbing their dates or the armrests of their seats. This is one to see in a dark theater with a crowd.
You may have noticed I was a little light on story details with this review. Trust me, the less you know going into it, the more you'll dig it. Oh yeah, think hard on whether you want to do dinner BEFORE you see the movie because there is some rough stuff in this and while I know I can handle it...
RATING: **** out of *****.
You want gore? Check.
Suspense? Oh yeah.
Scary? Let me put it to you simply: this is a movie that will make you think twice about going to Mexico and doing a little sightseeing in the forest.
It's a very grim movie and not for the squeamish but still it doesn't stop this from being one of the most entertaining times I've had at the movies this year so far. The acting though, is what makes this one head and shoulders above most other fright flicks I've seen in years. There was not one bad performance in this and it really helps to sell a premise that could've crashed under its own weight at any second. The idea of it might sound a little silly but I was totally engrossed in it from the moment the crap hits the fan in the film. You feel the despair of the characters in this story and you really, really want to see them make it out of this in one piece.
In the end, you know how I know this movie was really good? What kind of proved it in a weird way? The audience's reaction. I saw it in a packed theater tonight, filled with dozens of teenagers and none of them, not one, had any smart ass comments during the film. You know how a character in a film will deliver a heartfelt line of dialogue only to be received by the audience with snorts and yells of disgust? It didn't happen once. When I glanced at the audience behind me, all of them were grabbing their dates or the armrests of their seats. This is one to see in a dark theater with a crowd.
You may have noticed I was a little light on story details with this review. Trust me, the less you know going into it, the more you'll dig it. Oh yeah, think hard on whether you want to do dinner BEFORE you see the movie because there is some rough stuff in this and while I know I can handle it...
RATING: **** out of *****.