Rarely do I find a movie that I feel the need to write about.
While this is strictly B-movie material, it is still compelling viewing for those who like their suspense and mystery long and drawn out.
I went into this movie expecting something very different from what it delivered as I tried not to read too much into it beforehand. From what I did know about it, I thought it was probably going to be something very similar to "Identity" (2003) and hoped it wasn't simply going to rip it off completely. I am glad to say that it doesn't.
In the end, I was actually quite pleasantly surprised - as I felt the movie brought something new to quite a well-wrung out sub-genre (motel/diner in the middle of nowhere).
Until around the half-way mark, it ticks along rather slowly, building a background for things that are to be later revealed.
Around this point we then start to get a better feel for what the real truth behind the creepiness around the diner may be, but it isn't until around the last 15 minutes that the real truth is revealed and even at that, it is revealed in pieces - bit by bit until it reaches the very last scene. It really is rather clever. In many ways this technique actually reminded me of that used in the movie "Memento" (2000).
For those concerned about content, this movie could easily have passed for PG-13 had they left out a couple of scenes suggestive of sexual content and the handful of F-bombs which exist throughout it (mostly from the main character nonetheless), as overall this movie is aiming to be heavier in suspense, tension and mystery than trying to be dialogue heavy - though of what is spoken by the characters, if you ignore said profanities, only a select few are throwaway lines.
I would probably rate this in around 6.25 - 6.5 stars, except we can't give 1/4 or 1/2 stars here - but it's not quite worth a 7, so I had to go with 6 stars.
It's definitely not a popcorn movie, so your average teenager can stay well away - but for those who like these types of "mysterious" kinda flicks, it's worth a watch.
While this is strictly B-movie material, it is still compelling viewing for those who like their suspense and mystery long and drawn out.
I went into this movie expecting something very different from what it delivered as I tried not to read too much into it beforehand. From what I did know about it, I thought it was probably going to be something very similar to "Identity" (2003) and hoped it wasn't simply going to rip it off completely. I am glad to say that it doesn't.
In the end, I was actually quite pleasantly surprised - as I felt the movie brought something new to quite a well-wrung out sub-genre (motel/diner in the middle of nowhere).
Until around the half-way mark, it ticks along rather slowly, building a background for things that are to be later revealed.
Around this point we then start to get a better feel for what the real truth behind the creepiness around the diner may be, but it isn't until around the last 15 minutes that the real truth is revealed and even at that, it is revealed in pieces - bit by bit until it reaches the very last scene. It really is rather clever. In many ways this technique actually reminded me of that used in the movie "Memento" (2000).
For those concerned about content, this movie could easily have passed for PG-13 had they left out a couple of scenes suggestive of sexual content and the handful of F-bombs which exist throughout it (mostly from the main character nonetheless), as overall this movie is aiming to be heavier in suspense, tension and mystery than trying to be dialogue heavy - though of what is spoken by the characters, if you ignore said profanities, only a select few are throwaway lines.
I would probably rate this in around 6.25 - 6.5 stars, except we can't give 1/4 or 1/2 stars here - but it's not quite worth a 7, so I had to go with 6 stars.
It's definitely not a popcorn movie, so your average teenager can stay well away - but for those who like these types of "mysterious" kinda flicks, it's worth a watch.