The Redeeming

The Redeeming is a clever low budget mystery/horror. It's probably more categorized as horror but you spend a good part of the film curious about what the heck is happening. It's pretty much a single location, two-character dialog driven film (which I like), so you really have to pay attention. Worth a watch.

Brian Barnes' The Redeeming is a smart and shrewdly executed in-the-head thriller. Claustrophobically entombed in what amounts to a single location, the subtle yet at times high-tension acting between two primary characters grab the attention early and hold it throughout. With a unique story of things past, this quiet film leverages solitude and builds suspense by keeping the viewer guessing. This is one to watch in a dark home environment while you allow that environment to merge seamlessly with the intimacy of the darkened house in which this deftly-executed film takes root.

The Redeeming is a psychological thriller that has a nice slow build of tension as it progresses. It centers around a woman in a home in a remote area who lets a young man in. Interesting twists in turns throughout. Great acting by Tracey Ann Wood and Ryan Wichert.

This is a movie to sink into and let it build, with terrific performances by Tracey Ann Wood as Joyce, the woman alone in the house, and Ryan Wichert as John, the young injured man lost in the woods. What feels like a familiar setup a la MISERY quickly builds it's own unique story line that builds tension a long the way. Things aren't what they seem with Joyce, but perhaps things aren't what they seem with John either.

This movie is much more suspense than horror, it's not a slasher, the tension builds organically not through jump cuts or ploys. Production value is solid and the old house in the moonlight adds to the general sense of doom.

I love psychological thrillers and this one was so smart and kept me curious (and nervous!) the whole viewing. The acting is amazing, and the script and camera work are crafted in a really intelligent way. Recommended!