Held

Somewhere around the hour mark it becomes apparent what's about to be revealed and it's very on the nose about it, as is the case with most agent pushing movies nowadays. Too bad, because it could've been a decent horror drama about the complexities of marriage, but the script lacks subtlety and opts for familiar tropes.

My wife and I must have a strange taste of movies when I read the extremely negative reviews for this one. We think just the opposite. Held is an entertaining thriller, and even if I figured out the mystery pretty quick it was still most enjoyable to watch. Director Travis Cluff did a good job with this one. He also plays the voice in Held. Jill Awbrey is not only the actress but also the writer. All those elements make it look like a low budget movie but the execution was good and you couldn't really see it was a low budget movie. I really don't get why people didn't enjoy this story, it turned out to be much better than I was expecting. People are so hard to please these days, not that I care. If you like something different, or if you enjoy psychological thrillers then give this one a shot, it's worth it.

This film is actually not as bad as some might think. If you understand the main point(s) of the film, it makes sense from that perspective.

This film isn't just about a married couple being trapped indoors over a weekend. There's an agenda and this takes life's most common problems with marriage/relationships and places it at the center. Of course the film also needs to include small elements of suspense throughout to keep it interesting.

...and then it takes an unexpected turn you don't see coming - controlled gratification.

It was very average. I had to forward through some parts. There was a twist which I also saw coming but it was still a little unique. Overall just bleh.

Starting off well, it actually kept my attention until the end. Once I figured out the plot, I still liked it, which is not so common. Not a masterpiece though but much better than traditional splatter/horror movies. A suspense film with a low budget wrapped in a nice well-played package, reminiscent of "Sleeping with the enemy". Sometimes less is more and that is definitely the case with "Held". Good choice for both him and her.