43 reviews
'Shadow Walkers' (or '+1' as it's also known) is an odd little number at the best of times. It never really seems to know what it is. I guess the one thing everyone can agree on is that it's a 'B-movie.' Therefore, most likely everyone concerned with making it knew that it was never going to be a massively commercial box office smash. At best it might achieve 'cult status' on DVD.
Therefore, it doesn't have a budget and no 'known' actors to speak of. It's about a meteor that crashes into a small town in America, creating weird phenomenon amidst a local college party. Soon the guests find things are going a little crazy and they might not make it to morning alive. It starts off like some sort of adult-humour piece like American Pie, then it progresses into a looping version of Groundhog Day. There's also a fair bit of 'gratuitous' nudity which (judging from what I've read online) seems to have put a lot of people off from taking the plot seriously.
When I read that synopsis I thought it was going to have something to do with aliens. Yet, what you get is time travel. It could work. And it almost does. Without giving too much away about the plot, it tries to be a little bit different (and succeed), but then it strays into that area where it starts to become too clever for its own good. Any film concerning time travel is going to have some major plot holes. Some of them are just so good (I'm thinking the Terminator series and Back to the Future) that you can forgive the odd lapse in plausibility and just enjoy the ride. However, in Shadow Walkers the questions just keep mounting up. It's like the writers had one idea then changed their minds half way through. And then again about twenty minutes later.
You'll find yourself asking quite a few questions as to why people do things and what happens to someone which hasn't really been properly explained. I checked online as to find out the meaning behind much of the film. There are some good theories explaining most of it, but no one seems to be able to explain everything.
If you were left with questions after watching Prometheus, then you'll be able to write an encyclopaedia as to what wasn't clear in Shadow Walkers. I didn't hate the film. It tries to be different, which, in a marketplace of B-movies filled with 'found footage' and cheap zombie movies, made a change. I just wish it had been a little more focused. I don't mind not having every little detail about a story explained to me. Sometimes it's fun to interpret it your own way. It's just here they took that concept a little too far.
For fans of sci-fi B-movies only.
http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/
Therefore, it doesn't have a budget and no 'known' actors to speak of. It's about a meteor that crashes into a small town in America, creating weird phenomenon amidst a local college party. Soon the guests find things are going a little crazy and they might not make it to morning alive. It starts off like some sort of adult-humour piece like American Pie, then it progresses into a looping version of Groundhog Day. There's also a fair bit of 'gratuitous' nudity which (judging from what I've read online) seems to have put a lot of people off from taking the plot seriously.
When I read that synopsis I thought it was going to have something to do with aliens. Yet, what you get is time travel. It could work. And it almost does. Without giving too much away about the plot, it tries to be a little bit different (and succeed), but then it strays into that area where it starts to become too clever for its own good. Any film concerning time travel is going to have some major plot holes. Some of them are just so good (I'm thinking the Terminator series and Back to the Future) that you can forgive the odd lapse in plausibility and just enjoy the ride. However, in Shadow Walkers the questions just keep mounting up. It's like the writers had one idea then changed their minds half way through. And then again about twenty minutes later.
You'll find yourself asking quite a few questions as to why people do things and what happens to someone which hasn't really been properly explained. I checked online as to find out the meaning behind much of the film. There are some good theories explaining most of it, but no one seems to be able to explain everything.
If you were left with questions after watching Prometheus, then you'll be able to write an encyclopaedia as to what wasn't clear in Shadow Walkers. I didn't hate the film. It tries to be different, which, in a marketplace of B-movies filled with 'found footage' and cheap zombie movies, made a change. I just wish it had been a little more focused. I don't mind not having every little detail about a story explained to me. Sometimes it's fun to interpret it your own way. It's just here they took that concept a little too far.
For fans of sci-fi B-movies only.
http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/
- bowmanblue
- Aug 14, 2014
- Permalink
- genji-hth-106-891191
- Sep 21, 2013
- Permalink
- RevRonster
- Oct 27, 2014
- Permalink
I really liked the plot idea for this film. A double of each of the characters at a huge student party makes for some interesting interactions. It seemed though, that after setting the scene for a very enjoyable development of the story, the producers didn't come up with a clever way to wrap it all up. The ending seems misplaced and rushed.
Except Rhys Wakefield who was very doll-like, the acting was quite good. The camera-work during the party scenes was very well done. The atmosphere of an awesome party with just a touch of "something weird" was delivered perfectly.
Overall, not a bad film. It would be much better with a more thoughtful ending, but then again I cannot think of a fitting conclusion either.
Except Rhys Wakefield who was very doll-like, the acting was quite good. The camera-work during the party scenes was very well done. The atmosphere of an awesome party with just a touch of "something weird" was delivered perfectly.
Overall, not a bad film. It would be much better with a more thoughtful ending, but then again I cannot think of a fitting conclusion either.
I turned this s**t off after an hour (quite frankly i'm surprised I waited that long) very little in the way of plot / story line. I should sue whoever made this garbage for the £1.50 I payed and the 92 minutes i would have wasted watching the whole thing.
"I just saw another me downstairs...everything is gonna happen again." When three college friends decide to go to a party they are not prepared for what they experience. David (Wakefield) meets up with is ex-girlfriend who he is still in love with. Teddy (Miller) hooks up with the girl of his dreams and Allison is once again maid fun of. Just when they can't think it can't get any worse it all happens again and again and again. I really had no idea what this movie was about because I don't watch previews before I see the movie. I don't know if that was the reason I liked it so much or not but I really thought this was a neat movie. What started off as just another college party movie became something that isn't really seen in movies anymore...originality. I don't want to give anything away so I can only describe this as the first "let's get drunk and have sex with other college students/sci-fi" movie I have ever seen. I realize how that sounds but give it a chance, you may be surprised like I was. Overall, original and fun, it kept me interested and entertained the entire time. I surprisingly give this a B+.
- cosmo_tiger
- Dec 8, 2013
- Permalink
- peterp-450-298716
- Feb 5, 2014
- Permalink
One extra star just for not being another found footage teen flick, this was surprisingly better than I expected. The only problem was that it seemed everything needed just one more good pass. Everything comes off as a little uneven, but I think it ends up successful. The actors are competent for their age which probably means they're all older than their characters, but some like Logan Miller's "Teddy" are muted, not given quite enough from the script. He could has sunk his teeth into a better script. The script is not quite funny enough where it needs to be, but could have been with one more pass. Not quite enough explanation is given for the cause, but the story concept actually turns out good. Most of the horror comes from the characters, especially one story line, and that serves the movie. Pacing is a problem for the film, you come out of a funny or scary scene, and then the movie hits the breaks. Too many red herrings for the script to support. I think if the director had gone through one more edit, one more script revision, and the better actors given a little more meat on their plates, this would have been great. It even had a good twist that was subtle but effective.
Time Travel is a kinda tricky thing to deal with in movies. No matter how well its made there is bound to be plot holes in the movie. An exception being Primer which was so inexplicably detailed that it ended up indigestible for many and entertaining for only a few. Another recent example which barely makes it to the list would be Looper, once again not without flaws but the movie itself addressed the issues of time travel and thereby negating some that it could have had. The point being few movies can nail it and the best is already out there: Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future Trilogy, GroundHog Day and TimeBandits.
If you are not gulled into thinking this is a sequel to the Google pwned The Internship, +1, comes from Dennis Iliadis, the director of The Last House on the Left (the 2009 one, which I found amusing) is not essentially a time travel movie but a genre mash up. Its a mix of college party movie, a romance drama and sci-fi. To put it light this could have been Project X-meets-Groundhog Day-meets-Body Snatchers. Its got some amazing ideas which rivets you in the first and second act though fails miserably to do so towards the 3rd act. It was very intriguing for me at first, the characters were straight out of a sex comedy movie and a few minutes into the movie the weird starts creeping in. Blatant use of nudity distracts you away from the core premise nonetheless you will be left with a lot of questions towards the end. The ending itself felt rushed and could have been way way better.
+1 is the perfect example of a brilliant concept tampered via flawed execution. Anybody who's seen this movie can't possibly deny that its got some nifty ideas but it all tumbles down the hill due to lazy and amateur performances, inconsistent pacing and gaping plot holes. I felt the party itself wasn't wild enough, thank the onionskin budget. Performances from Rhys Wakefield, Logan Miller and the supporting cast felt all but appreciable. I was counting on Rhys, having seen his performance from The Purge but instead I felt it was very amateur here. And I frankly thought I'd seen the last of Ashely Hinshaw, after her asinine histrionics from About Cherry. The only scantily commendable performance comes from Pretty Little Liar's Natalie Hall along with gratuitous nudity.
Loads and loads of flaws and some unexplained sequences makes an otherwise novel movie just barely watchable. It could have been a good modern day Groundhog Day but its flaws overburdens whatever goodness it has. Watch +1 and bear with it for its amusing take on time travel and its middling twists. Whether it earns a cult status is yet to be seen.
If you are not gulled into thinking this is a sequel to the Google pwned The Internship, +1, comes from Dennis Iliadis, the director of The Last House on the Left (the 2009 one, which I found amusing) is not essentially a time travel movie but a genre mash up. Its a mix of college party movie, a romance drama and sci-fi. To put it light this could have been Project X-meets-Groundhog Day-meets-Body Snatchers. Its got some amazing ideas which rivets you in the first and second act though fails miserably to do so towards the 3rd act. It was very intriguing for me at first, the characters were straight out of a sex comedy movie and a few minutes into the movie the weird starts creeping in. Blatant use of nudity distracts you away from the core premise nonetheless you will be left with a lot of questions towards the end. The ending itself felt rushed and could have been way way better.
+1 is the perfect example of a brilliant concept tampered via flawed execution. Anybody who's seen this movie can't possibly deny that its got some nifty ideas but it all tumbles down the hill due to lazy and amateur performances, inconsistent pacing and gaping plot holes. I felt the party itself wasn't wild enough, thank the onionskin budget. Performances from Rhys Wakefield, Logan Miller and the supporting cast felt all but appreciable. I was counting on Rhys, having seen his performance from The Purge but instead I felt it was very amateur here. And I frankly thought I'd seen the last of Ashely Hinshaw, after her asinine histrionics from About Cherry. The only scantily commendable performance comes from Pretty Little Liar's Natalie Hall along with gratuitous nudity.
Loads and loads of flaws and some unexplained sequences makes an otherwise novel movie just barely watchable. It could have been a good modern day Groundhog Day but its flaws overburdens whatever goodness it has. Watch +1 and bear with it for its amusing take on time travel and its middling twists. Whether it earns a cult status is yet to be seen.
- sohansurag
- Dec 23, 2013
- Permalink
Because of the seemingly decline of cinema creativity, i am nowadays tempted to highly rate any movie that shows up with a different concept, plot, history or whatever.
I am so fed up with the repeating and predictable tons of films out each year that i was indeed very pleased with this one.
The plot is brilliant and something new and exciting. I know that many will say that there are several huge problems with it. Acting is average at best and directing extremely poor if we take in account what could have been.
Anyway, if you want something fresh this is it. This script could and should have been picked by a larger company with an higher budget. It could have been easily a box office scifi movie but, instead, became an almost obscure mix between an good base story and a bad teenage college movie.
Boobs included.
I am so fed up with the repeating and predictable tons of films out each year that i was indeed very pleased with this one.
The plot is brilliant and something new and exciting. I know that many will say that there are several huge problems with it. Acting is average at best and directing extremely poor if we take in account what could have been.
Anyway, if you want something fresh this is it. This script could and should have been picked by a larger company with an higher budget. It could have been easily a box office scifi movie but, instead, became an almost obscure mix between an good base story and a bad teenage college movie.
Boobs included.
It might be a bit difficult to live up to the hype if you compare your movie to a cult classic like Donnie Darko. Then again since Project X is mentioned too - maybe that is a hint what is to be expected. And yes there is nudity and drinking and "romance" and quite a lot of teenage stuff going on. But there is also a lot violence too (quite explicit contrary to Donnie to be fair).
So while the comparison probably did not help, this is a wicked little movie that deserves better than to be just shrugged off. The acting is more than decent too and the twists are quite nice. I watched it under a different title, which may have been the one they used in Germany, which I reckon works better for the movie anyway: Shadow Walkers
So while the comparison probably did not help, this is a wicked little movie that deserves better than to be just shrugged off. The acting is more than decent too and the twists are quite nice. I watched it under a different title, which may have been the one they used in Germany, which I reckon works better for the movie anyway: Shadow Walkers
If you are the type of viewer that a little nudity can satisfy the lack of a good story and acting then this is the movie for you. Although even the small squeeze of nudity in this flick can't re-compensate the terrible acting of the main male actor. For crying out loud even Keanu Reeves and Ryan Gosling look like Oscar winners compared with what the most actors but especially the main male actor have to offer in this total waste of time. To think that this could actually be a good movie if you had a real director, writer and actors LOL. It's a shame that these days most so called directors and actors get the chances they don't deserve. That's it. Thank you for reading and hopefully you won't waste your time.
- moviecritic-803-791267
- Sep 27, 2013
- Permalink
- horizon2008
- Sep 30, 2013
- Permalink
- Amari-Sali
- Oct 12, 2013
- Permalink
This movie is only 3 stars for me because it has tried something new and other than that it is just a waste of time, so I am giving 3 stars only for trying something new..
There are many mistakes in this movie which I will not even go into details, especially logic mistakes.
Dennis Iliadis has tried something different but hasn't been able to deliver something satisfactory..
This movie made me curious at the beginning as it promised some space action with some good looking girls and a mystery around all but as the movie went on I became more and more disappointed...
There are many mistakes in this movie which I will not even go into details, especially logic mistakes.
Dennis Iliadis has tried something different but hasn't been able to deliver something satisfactory..
This movie made me curious at the beginning as it promised some space action with some good looking girls and a mystery around all but as the movie went on I became more and more disappointed...
- ZombieSquadShanghai
- Sep 27, 2015
- Permalink
I love movies that try out something new, and especially mixed with such a controversial genre. The trailer didn't give me too high hopes, but after just 5 minutes into the movie I was hooked.
The camera-work was great and you really got the feel for the atmosphere at the party. Even the music and attitude of the students at the party was actually relate-able to modern day and age. Unlike so many other movies similar to this. I felt like I wanted to be at that party, it wasn't fake nor forced in any way. Very good natural acting by many of the actors.
If you like unique sci-fi mixed with ordinary well played drama, and with an edge to it all, then this is the movie for you.
Oh, and it got tons of hot naked girls and tits, without being nasty about it.
The camera-work was great and you really got the feel for the atmosphere at the party. Even the music and attitude of the students at the party was actually relate-able to modern day and age. Unlike so many other movies similar to this. I felt like I wanted to be at that party, it wasn't fake nor forced in any way. Very good natural acting by many of the actors.
If you like unique sci-fi mixed with ordinary well played drama, and with an edge to it all, then this is the movie for you.
Oh, and it got tons of hot naked girls and tits, without being nasty about it.
- modchip_norway
- Sep 27, 2013
- Permalink
As seems to be typical with Dennis Iliadis' work, the cinematography is spot on, and a dismal set-up turns unexpectedly engaging and nerve-racking. Unfortunately, it relies far too heavily on clichés, the dialogue is awful and the plot becomes so twisted and ridiculous that the artifice shines through. And yet in spite of everything, it really grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Alongside "The Last House on the Left", Iliadis proves that he is a very talented filmmaker, if only he could keep a firm hold on the plot.
- InaneSwine
- Dec 2, 2017
- Permalink
- callanvass
- Nov 21, 2014
- Permalink
If you can overlook how when it begins it feels like a cheap Project X, stick with it because it does have the balls to be a little different and that is pretty rare nowadays.
Okay, it's not the greatest written or acted film but it did feel original and intrigued me to wonder where it was going, which is something not many films do nowadays.
Project X meets The Langoliers.
Okay, it's not the greatest written or acted film but it did feel original and intrigued me to wonder where it was going, which is something not many films do nowadays.
Project X meets The Langoliers.
- Paynebyname
- Aug 20, 2019
- Permalink
- patarenast
- Apr 10, 2018
- Permalink
The plot: During an out-of-control party, a group of college students experience a timeline disturbance that causes duplicates of themselves to appear.
The basic concept of this film is interesting, even if it is a bit of a retread of many other recent films, including Triangle, Timecrimes, Primer, etc. Unlike those films, this one stars a group teens straight out of American Pie. If that sounds appealing to you, then you'll probably enjoy this film more than I did.
Like Deadgirl, this film seems to ambiguously address themes of narcissism and misogyny. The kids' party is so over-the-top sexist that it's difficult not to believe that the following events aren't some kind of commentary. However, again like Deadgirl, the amorality of it leaves one wondering whether the film is simply misogynist itself. I'm inclined to take a charitable view of both films, but it's difficult to say with certainty that they are intentionally taking a stance against misogyny.
If you're the sort that enjoys gratuitous nudity, ignores plot holes and other contrivances, and thinks that people read way too much into films, you'll probably enjoy this. It's not bad for what it is, and there are some good scenes. On the other hand, if you're looking for something like Primer, I'd suggest you skip this. It's a bit deeper than you might first think, but that's not saying much. I thought about rating this 6/10, but the ending was a bit weak.
The basic concept of this film is interesting, even if it is a bit of a retread of many other recent films, including Triangle, Timecrimes, Primer, etc. Unlike those films, this one stars a group teens straight out of American Pie. If that sounds appealing to you, then you'll probably enjoy this film more than I did.
Like Deadgirl, this film seems to ambiguously address themes of narcissism and misogyny. The kids' party is so over-the-top sexist that it's difficult not to believe that the following events aren't some kind of commentary. However, again like Deadgirl, the amorality of it leaves one wondering whether the film is simply misogynist itself. I'm inclined to take a charitable view of both films, but it's difficult to say with certainty that they are intentionally taking a stance against misogyny.
If you're the sort that enjoys gratuitous nudity, ignores plot holes and other contrivances, and thinks that people read way too much into films, you'll probably enjoy this. It's not bad for what it is, and there are some good scenes. On the other hand, if you're looking for something like Primer, I'd suggest you skip this. It's a bit deeper than you might first think, but that's not saying much. I thought about rating this 6/10, but the ending was a bit weak.
"+1" is the kind of a movie where you have just got to be sold on the premise. That being that some manner of mysterious asteroid has struck our earth and is producing sinister doppelgangers of everyone in the immediate vicinity of it's crash site. Therein lies the foundation for this exceedingly odd yet mildly engrossing and mostly worth the while story (say, 2 3/4 out of 5 stars) written and directed by Dennis Iliadis, whose previous project was the 2009 remake of "The Last House on the Left".
The plot revolves in and around a completely hedonistic pagan ritual of a college bash thrown by a rich kid in his folks mansion while the parental units are away. David (Rhys Wakefield) has just fallen out of favor with his girlfriend (Ashley Hinshaw) of two years (this courtship time period is reiterated several times in the flick for no apparent purpose) and is on a mission to patch things up at this swingin' soiree. The mission proves to be easier said than done, however, as body duplicates and time dimensions get as screwy and scrambled up as the alcohol and drug-addled brains of the preponderance of partiers.
And just as we come to believe that it's ostensibly a case of all's well that ends well (well, mostly), we get this glimpse of a final image that seems to be telling us, "Hey. Not so fast there, bub." And here we go again...
The plot revolves in and around a completely hedonistic pagan ritual of a college bash thrown by a rich kid in his folks mansion while the parental units are away. David (Rhys Wakefield) has just fallen out of favor with his girlfriend (Ashley Hinshaw) of two years (this courtship time period is reiterated several times in the flick for no apparent purpose) and is on a mission to patch things up at this swingin' soiree. The mission proves to be easier said than done, however, as body duplicates and time dimensions get as screwy and scrambled up as the alcohol and drug-addled brains of the preponderance of partiers.
And just as we come to believe that it's ostensibly a case of all's well that ends well (well, mostly), we get this glimpse of a final image that seems to be telling us, "Hey. Not so fast there, bub." And here we go again...
- jtncsmistad
- Jun 2, 2016
- Permalink