Kin Dread

Kind Dread is a twisted thriller film that entertained me from the very start. It was interesting to watch how this story unfolded starting off with a large soundboard recording multiple lives from different people/families in the main characters' (Ethan David Smart) apartment complex. He is beyond disturbed which draws you in even more to see what will happen next. I did not expect anything that happened in this film and I really liked that feeling instead of knowing or already predicting what the outcome can be. Beautifully shot! A must watch movie!

I really found Kin Dread intriguing and it held my interest the whole time. It had an early Brian De Palma vibe with a mix of Coppola's Conversation paranoia with a dash of creepy Hitchcock. Great job by the cast of unknowns. It's nicely shot with a strong audio design. I think it could have benefited from some tighter editing in the finale but this is definitely one of the better little indie films I've seen in a while.

"Kin Dread" is an effective, cerebral drama with tinges of horror and a slow burning sense of *ahem* dread. Adrian Leon accomplishes a lot on what appears to be a limited budget but his imagination and inventiveness is evident from the jump. I love the audio / sound engineer element of the plot, which evoked such classics as "The Conversation" and "Blow-Out", with a little "Rear Window" thrown in there to boot. Following the protagonist Winters, the shy shut-in, who spends most of the film speaking to an Alexa-type device, could have been a slog if it was put into less capable hands, but Ethan David Smart shines in the lead role. I will admit that were times I found myself a bit lost in the various layers, the film really coalesces in the final twenty minutes. Leon manages to stick the landing, delving into full on horror, with a character reveal I never saw coming. Check out this twisty little gem today.

Due to the abysmal state of Hollywood cinema of recent times, I've been watching a lot of indie films - a sea change, if you will. But this hasn't been without a tidal wave of problems either. You know what I'm talking about. After reading the synopsis for Kin Dread, I thought maybe I was in for a Blow Out clone, but I like Blow Out, so in I go. That being said, it's pretty clear from the beginning that Kin Dread treads its own path in the uncrowded sound designer thriller genre. Erring on the brooding arty introspective side, Kin Dread actually looks and sounds surprisingly decent. Another pleasant surprise is that the leading player exudes a cinematic magnetism that's rare on the indie scene. Admittedly, there were a few times I wondered if the film was on the verge of confusing itself, but ye of little faith, we land on solid ground in the end. I especially loved the isolated hazy tone of this movie and had an enjoyable time watching it.

Amateurish, and badly acted, and quite nonsensical. Just not good at all really.