Kin Dread

"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.

Did I watch the same movie that other people on here did ?

This was a waste of time.. no mind blowing twist.. just ridiculous plot points that all feel like they have been done before.. Skip it !

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.

Kin Dread is a lot more polished than many of the indie films I watch. Ethan Smart does most of the heavy lifting, and he's quite believable in the role. The movie is well paced and passes quickly (nothing worse than a thriller that drags, that is not the case here), there is no unnecessary filler. The flashbacks are well done, the story is interesting and well written. I won't post any spoilers because that would ruin the experience, this is a movie that keeps you watching because you want to learn the whole story. A+ grade for the directing on this one, which is what really makes or breaks an indie movie. It's free to watch on Tubi right now, so what are you waiting for?