Black Rock

This film seems to be a rip-off of the British movie THE HIKE, which came out a year earlier and has pretty much exactly the same storyline (although the unfolding action is different, obviously). This is slim, independent film-making with a small cast and smaller budget. Three girls decide to go out into the wilderness for a camping trip, only to meet a trio of ex-soldiers, and things unfold from there.

I disliked this film from the opening scenes, and that's down to the script. The dialogue given to the main characters is puerile and you end up hating them from the outset. What's with that one girl pretending she had cancer in order to emotionally blackmail the others? It's pretty sick and you lose all respect for that character despite the best efforts of the actress playing her.

The story that unfolds is very predictable, with tons of these "survival horror" type films having been made in recent years. You don't care about the predicament of the leads and everything that happens feels stale and too well telegraphed in advance. I burst out laughing at the gratuitous nude scene and at the artifice of the ending where you can easily guess what happens. Non-existent acting, a horrid script, and unlikeable characters sink this from the outset.

"What happened was an accident. Abby is sorry." Three friends set out for a getaway weekend on an island they used to frequent when they were younger. While they are talking they are surprised when three men who have been hunting show up at their camp site. The two groups begin talking and drinking. When a fatal accident happens the girls relaxing weekend turns into a fight for survival. There are movies that are made that you have to really pay attention to and make you think. While this is very entertaining this is not one of those kind of movies. The movie is really nothing that deep but I did enjoy it. Be prepared for it though, some parts are very gory and a little hard to watch. On the other hand this is a "girl power" type movie so it does have that going for it. If you like movies like the Perfect Getaway then you will like this one as well. It was entertaining and a good watch but nothing that will keep you talking or thinking. Overall, fun and exciting but nothing that original. I liked it though. I give it a B.

Three childhood friends set aside their personal issues and reunite for a girls' weekend on a remote island off the coast of Maine. One wrong move turns their weekend getaway into a deadly fight for survival.

So, this film was directed by Katie Aselton ("The League"), based on a screenplay by her husband Mark Duplass (also "The League"), and also stars Aselton. This may not be the duo you would expect to make a thriller, but they work together in the genre exceptionally well.

Reviews have been mixed to negative, with people saying the women make poor choices in the film (as if horror characters do not usually make poor choices). The film is better than given credit for, with a decent amount of tension and some incredible dialogue. Whether scripted or ad libbed, the conversations come off as far more natural than the average film -- these could really be three friends on a trip.

Great actresses, but a very weak script. Maybe the script sounded good, I can't say, but the end product isn't good at all, which is a shame. Cardboard characters with "problems" and issues that are apparent from the first minute. Which might leave the viewer wondering why and how this could come this far.

It tries to defend it's positions on the issues at hand, but the movie never really succeeds. And don't get me started on that incredible (in all the wrong senses) ending! The something goes wrong scenario isn't new either, so you might not care about the believability of it all. If you care just a little though ... Well, you've been warned. A shame, but logic never entered in this ...

I went into this with no expectations and Black Rock is a decent little Indie thriller with some good suspense-filled moments. The story revolves around three long-time friends, two of whom are feuding who camp out on their old stomping ground of Black Rock to reconnect only their party is interrupted by three men who we learn have been dishonorable discharged from the army and aren't exactly friendly.

All hell breaks loose and the three heroines are hunted down. It's nothing we haven't seen before but the poor reviews are surprisingly poor for what seemed like a decent little movie. It has its flaws but character and the suspense are both there and the ladies Aselton(Abby) who also happens to be the director gave it a solid effort. Lake Bell (Lou) with and Kate Bosworth their roles exceptionally well for this story which never goes too over the top and stays believable for the most part.

It won't be winning any major awards but in my books it was a good survival story which had me interested all the way to the end.

6/10 (though rated 7 because it was better than people say it is)