Rebound

I always seek out Indie Films because I'm through with the type of "movies" Hollywood churns out. This is an indie film made on a low budget (so what?) and we very well done. I thought it looked nice photography wise and the story was surprising. At first I thought it might be the same old thing I've seen many times before, but it isn't. This movie some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I don't consider it horror. It's more of a thriller. It starts out slow, but hang in there, it picks up. It's important that the mood is set right with a movie like this, so be patient. This movie is worth giving a chance.

So, let's start with the obvious. This is a flawed film. It's a lack of skill draped over a very solid skeleton. That is to say, it's actually a very well-conceived premise, and it plays out extremely logically. Moreover, the actors are honestly quite competent. The lukewarm end result is basically ALL the director's fault.

The female protagonist, I think is really well cast just for being so average, both in looks and in temperament. She has a born victim energy about her, which is exactly what the role calls for. She's essentially about as uncrappy a person as you can get, and the moral is, of course there's going to be SOME nutcase who feels aggressed by her. I do agree that she could have produced a little more emotion and tension in some scenes, but that's really the director's fault for not pushing for it.

As to the nutcase, he serves as a great case in point for the TYPE of movie that this is, i.e. I thought his performance was fairly badly conceived, but the point is, it's still good enough to be worth criticizing. I think it was a huge miss trying to make him into this explosive bombastic character in the second half of the film. He did a great job at being subliminally creepy. They should have intensified that. It would have worked so much better. As it is, both sides to the character seem almost irreconsileable, like two separate characters. Is he a meek timid weirdo or is he an assertive forceful A. Hole? Make up your mind!

In the end, there's just enough that works in this film for it to be SOMETHING, but not enough for it to be something GREAT. For one, a fair amount of effort was put into establishing mood, and it's very clear what they were going for, but in terms of pacing, cinematography & camera angles, the director just simply lacked the skill to pull it off seamlessly.

The bar scene in particular really dragged on. Now, on one hand, you could say the drabness of it adds to the realism, but not a lot was said, or more specifically, expressed. They could have made a lot more out of what ended up being just a fairly dull conversation. "Yeah I like fixing up wrecks, I don't go for tacky new tinsel." Maybe throw in some flashback sequences; Use a few snappy camera angles: SOMETHING to give this line the weight that you clearly want it to have.

The ending is a little weird, sure. Almost anticlimactic, but it didn't really bother me. There are LEVELS of anticlimax. Some are the level of "what the hell did I waste my time on?" This one I think falls more into the sphere of mundane horror that brings you just a little more close to reality than you thought you'd be. THAT didn't bother me. What REALLY bothered me was the fading of night into day. It was done so clumsily towards the end, that this alone is just such a dumb and avoidable continuity error, that it almost ruins the whole thing for me. I suppose this film is worth watching from an academic point of view unless you just really really love independent horror.

Rebound struggles with several critical issues that diminish its overall impact. The lead actress delivers a flat performance marked by confusion, often appearing unsure of where to direct her gaze. This lack of focus undermines her role and leaves the character feeling unremarkable and inexperienced.

The script is plagued by repetitive flashback sex scenes that go on way too long and the actress looks directly at the film changing her gaze to creepy and crazy eyes instead of " in the moment" . The film has many unexplained elements, such as the unfriendly verging hostile attitudes of men in the bar, which goes without reason or explanation. These issues contribute to a sense of disjointed storytelling and lack of substance. Much of the film remains unexplored, leading to a narrative that feels both rushed and shallow.

Direction and pacing reveal inexperience, further impacting the film's coherence. While the soundtrack avoids overly jarring choices, it often fails to align with the film's tone.

In summary, Rebound is a missed opportunity. The lead's unconvincing performance and the film's lack of depth make it difficult to recommend. The film ultimately feels underdeveloped and unsatisfying.

Rebound is a film about a woman whose life falls apart before her very eyes and she makes a choice to restart things by moving back to the mid-west. I'm a sucker for psychological thrillers so the trailer got my attention with it's pace and effectively moody score.

If you're a fan of indie films you should give this one a watch. It's an exercise in watching for the dangers that surround you. We all know what it's like to have things go wrong, so the idea of running away from one horror only to find yourself right smack in the middle of another one is something I feel we can all connect with.

I look forward to seeing what the filmmakers come up with for their next project.

There is actually some effort here, not going to lie. The plot is decent and the main actor is alright. But the actress.. are you kidding? When someone is TORTURING you, you're supposed to be terrified. She seems like she just has some constipation! Takes all the edge of the movie right there. Also the so called other woman is focused on way too much, she is very irritating with her fake facial expressions. Otherwise, for a cheap film this is actually somewhat watchable.