LoupGarouTFTs

The movie establishes the warm relationship between Andy and his stepsister, Piper, in the first several minutes. Both of them seem genuinely likeable people, especially when you realize that he's watching out for her both due to affection and due to her being legally blind. It isn't long before Andy discovers his father dead, which is the catalyst for the siblings being sent into foster care. It is at this point that the movie takes a nosedive into irredeemable status.

Now, I'm 64. I have a homestead. I've butchered chickens and goats. I've watched horror films since I saw "The Fog" and "Alien" during their first runs in movie theaters--having caught the creature features and "Psycho" on television during my more tender years. I was even able to watch the "chest burster" scene on the big screen. This movie? This movie had such unnecessary gore, as well as over-the-top psychological abuse and brutality done to children, that I couldn't sit through it. Reading some of the spoilers here, I think that I made the correct choice.

Billy Barratt (Andy) and Sora Wong (Piper) did brilliantly in their roles. I hope to see more of them in the future. As to the Philippou brothers? I don't think they get another chance.

This movie could have been so much more than it was. I've said it before, an unpleasant lead isn't a deal-breaker for me, but the unpleasant lead combined with the horrible music was nearly enough to make me turn this film off before it even started. Lazy writing produces foul-mouthed characters who only know sexual slurs to describe a whole variety of shortcomings and emotions.

The unpleasantness aside, lazy writing also led to the underutilization of the diner as a setting. Yes, the writers managed to squeak in some unique weaponry and protective gear during the fight sequences, but if Nancy had truly been a waitress and not an erstwhile manager, the tension could have been even greater without the horribly lazy writing surrounding Jake. A legacy? Who even says that at a diner? University students, maybe, are legacies. Not cooks. Anyhow, she could still have been the daughter of the owner. She could have stolen tips, browbeaten busboys, and yes, been put in charge when her dad went off and overstepped her bounds by firing Jake. Then, the resentment could have truly been real. That one change could have made for a much better ending, even with the ridiculous Sarah Connor resolution (who was at least a much better bad waitress than Nancy).

But the biggest problem with this movie was the laziness surrounding Nancy herself. She had a bad day. That's undeniable. Learning you're pregnant, not knowing the father, car dying, having to walk to the job that you hate--all that stuff piles on and makes for a bad mindset. It's a great setup for a person having an unusually bad attitude that brings on the bad behavior of others. But no, she was the epitome of the stereotypical small-town diner "waitress." She had a foul mouth and loose morals, she had a slovenly appearance and used drugs. Nancy was already horrible to Bobby before she found out that she was pregnant and it was clear that no one at the diner cared one bit for her. Even her best friend seemed to think very little of her. The message that the director seemed to be sending was that she deserved what she got but that she was a survivor deserved to conquer all. Oh, and if her dad went off, leaving her in charge without her even knowing about how the kitchen equipment worked, he also deserved what he got.

Three stars because I liked Bobby and because Petey made me laugh (I'm sorry).