User reviews

Over all not too shabby, definitely better than I expected. So yes its been done many times before, person (or in this case; people) break in to someones house for some ulterior motive, only to discover the home owner is either hiding something or is some sort of killer. But it throws a little extra into the formula, some works, the emphasis on the killer and his story was refreshing. But is it scary? Is it a horror movie? Because lately so called "horror" movies are indeed not scary at all. And as far as this film is concerned, I'm not sure what I want to say, because some of it was effective, and some of it wasn't. First of all, I like how they expanded on the typical story line they were telling, and without giving to much away, it creates this admittedly tense cat and mouse chaotic situation for all parties involved, so I liked how it just didn't stick 100% to the "Rear Window" and "Disturbia" formulas.

But was it scary? I'd say it was in places and was not in some, it was as simple as that for me. Some of the scenes/situations/jumps got me, and I got a little tense, but some other scenes just didn't do it for me, maybe because I'm so desensitized to brutal horror movies. The acting was also hit and miss, some actors did a fine job while others, were just... meh... And to be fair some of the good acting added to the intensity. I also didn't like some of the editing choices. I liked the color scheme of the film, the dark and deep colors, something you would expect from a James Wan or Hammer Films movies. I really want to say I liked it, because i definitely did like some of it, but some of it just didn't tickle my horror bone like it could have, but overall it was not too bad, much better than I expected.

Bad Samaritan is a film that I simply did not know was even being released until I looked on Fandango and checked what movies I could go see yesterday. And besides David Tennant, there's really no big name here at all and there wasn't a single bit of marketing that I saw, so there's that. Really, Bad Samaritan will likely be a film that comes and goes and never knows that it existed. However, I actually thought it was a pretty well made film. Granted, it starts to fall apart after the hour mark, but if you're just looking for a cheap thrill with some fun performances, creepy imagery, and good time at the theater, then look no further than Bad Samaritan. The film has no place making some of the third act decisions it does however, it never fully jumps the proverbial shark, and it's always entertaining.

7.3/10

For the most part, this film was well shot, very well acted, and well paced. My only real criticism for the film is the elements I felt were a bit over the top. These would include a bizarrely done flashback snippet, some odd plot occurrences, and a score that I felt elevated the cartoonish nature of the film. Still, would recommend a watch for those who like cat and mouse thrillers.

With the success of the Avengers last weekend, it is hard for other movies to try and take follow such an impressive record. Still, another week comes with movies that are going to try and fight for their place in the silver screen. My first movie of the week is the latest Horror/Thriller to try and keep you on edge. Robbie K here with another round of writing to help you guys with your movie choices. Sit back and read on as I review:

Movie: Bad Samaritan

Director: Dean Devlin Writer: Brandon Boyce (screenplay) Stars: Kerry Condon, David Tennant, Robert Sheehan

LIKES:

Decent Pacing: If you've read my work, you know I like movies that movie, which Bad Samaritan does. I'll admit it takes a while to lift off in an attempt to set the stage, but as the robbery goes bad and the thrills start, things start to pick up. From then on, it seems to move, only hitting rough patches of diverging slowness for small amounts before looping back to the story.

Acting: Another plus here, the cast has quite an art to helping keeps the audience invested in the story with performances that are quite believable and well developed. The secondary characters are fine for their limited appearances, but the two leads are by far the pillars of strength keeping this movie up. Sheehan as the protagonist plays the man at wits end quite well, a nice force of morale integrity with a drive to make changes his world needs. It's a nice puzzle of emotion and he was able to bring all the pieces together to make a protagonist you want to get behind. Yet it's David Tennant who will most likely grab your attention. The former Barty Crouch Junior has taken his insanity up a level, still having that strategic genius of a serial killer, but this time being much louder and less subtle. Seeing how deep his madness goes is probably the only mystery at hand, as one tries to figure out what caused such devoted madness. The rivalry between these two is the relationship that drives the whole film, and certainly the thrilling component of the movie.

Thrilling at Times: The movie has a dark edge to it, and dark often brings thrills and suspense to the screen. Bad Samaritan has those moments that are real on the seat sequences that you crime show lovers enjoy. All of them attempt to make you jump and potentially look suspiciously over at your fellow audience member, but most of these moments are short lived. What does bring suspense though, is that feeling of unknown as to what Tennant's character will do next. That uneasiness is truly the source of the thrills in the movie and perhaps one of the more realistic scares of the year in movies.

DISLIKES:

Predictable: What drowns the movie's suspense is how linear and predictable this film is. Bad Samaritan holds few surprises in this regard, much of the plot can be seen from a mile away and seldom surprising me outside of how short some of the suspense moments are. It's much of the same story that crime shows love to take full advantage of in their relentless need for repeats.

Lacking Villain Development: The extent of his madness is visible in this film, his back story, not so much. Bad Samaritan's villain is just shown as crazy, with only fleeting memories of animal torture (another thing I hate) to give you any sort of understanding. Eventually, the bomb is dropped into the incident that developed his psychopathic tendencies arose, but it's only in the form of a three-sentence part to wrap it all up. This lack of details and impasses to uncover his history means one thing... boring. Part of the fun of a thriller is getting more insight to the monster at hand and it just didn't deliver in this movie.

Underutilization of secondary characters: Sigh, the protagonist had so many connections set up at the beginning, each an important cog to Sheehan's character's life, but also a valuable pawn in the killer's game of chess. Unfortunately, these pieces are super underdeveloped, dropped in for only small time talk before quickly being used for more life altering madness. Most of these stints are just flown over, but a couple do try to bring that nasty bite to get you feeling the pain they want you to. Had more of these guys been brought into the game, Bad Samaritan may have again developed the edge it needed.

The Stupidity/Mistakes: Bad Samaritan falls into the usual trepidations of characters making stupid decisions and paying heavily for it. These bad decisions are essentially the core of the movie, and while a few could be appreciated, some of these moments were sheer displays of how dumb the writing was at times. How did this master of seduction/schmoozing screw up so much for this kid to best him? Why would they be so stupid to leave obvious clues? Why were the cops so ruthlessly dumb/ignorant? It's just those background noises they want you to annoy, but in this movie that is hard to do given the set up they make. The inconsistencies are a tad annoying to me at times.

The Ending: Sigh, another movie that is left to tease and feel unfinished. Bad Samaritan's final moments are rushed display of mistakes, coincidental serendipity, and a sudden cut to black worthy of the Sopranos. It opens the possibilities for another installment yet could provide lackluster closure to those who want it. Nevertheless, this film didn't quite end as strongly as one would hope, leaving many questions unanswered, and many ties still unknotted.

The VERDICT:

Bad Samaritan is an okay movie, capable of finding ways to make you jump and trying to keep you engaged in this manhunt. With good acting and a good pace, the movie certainly feels like a crime show that has a film worthy budget. Yet, the movie still holds some rather big deficits that rob it of the thriller aspect it wanted to bring. More character development and suspense are going to be needed for further installments, but it at least sets the stage. Worth a trip to the movies? Can't say it is for me but give it a shot at home to not worry about being robbed of your money for an anticlimactic ending.

My scores are:

Horror/Thriller: 7.0 Movie Overall: 6.5

For a B-grade film, this was surprisingly better than I expected. The acting was great by all cast members, the directing was on point, the writing was actually pretty good - without many plot issues one would normally expect, the cinematography perfect, the pacing was great, especially for the 107 min length, and the editing not too bad except for the flashbacks. My only critique was the terrible score, especially towards the last act. Had the score been more professional and consistent through out, the suspense would have been stellar instead of adequate. Overall an impressive film. A well deserved 8/10 from me.

David Tennant stars as the movies antagonist in a clever little thriller that deserves more recognition than it appears to have recieved.

It tells the story of two friends who through their valet job proceed to rob people while they are at the restaurant. But on this occasion one of them finds a little more than he expected as the home contains a chained up woman.

Now Bad Samaritan immediatly suffers from a flaw that a lot of movies have have lately. Namely protagonists that I can't care for. Why am I supposed to root for criminals? These people are robbing folks, why am I supposed to care about them? Sadly this has been a big thing lately and really badly needs to stop.

The story is great, David Tennant is excellent (As always) and it all plays out really well. But our lead being a thief just kept nagging at me and bothered me considerably more than it perhaps should.

Putting that aside I can confidently say Bad Samaritan is a smart little film, well constructed and well performed so if the bad protagonist thing doesn't bother you then it's well worth your time.

The Good:

David Tennant

Very well made little thriller

Solid concept

The Bad:

Unlikeable protagonist

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

David Tennant needs more high profile work

Bad guys need to play bad guys, thieves should not be the protagonists

Women still haven't established that allowing themselves to be photographed topless/naked is a bad idea

Good movie! Great plot! Edge of your seat twist and turns! Picture and acting qualities are excellent!.... If theirs anyone looking for good reviews and not sure of watching. Pay no mind to the bad reviews. If you like crime thrillers.. this is a good one!

I don't know where to start. Except to say how dumb do writers think their viewers are? So this "bad guy" can make one phpne call and get people fired? Can start police investigations? Can ruin people's lives? Ahh-yep This one bad guy can ter down his pleasure room amd mudere room completely in an hour? Ah yep...We're smarter than that writers, start WRITING like we are. Thank you

'BAD SAMARITAN': Three Stars (Out of Five)

A horror flick about a valet who uses his client's cars to break into their homes, and then finds a woman being held captive in one of them. It stars Robert Sheehan, David Tennant, Kerry Condon, Carlito Olivero, Lisa Brenner and Jacqueline Byers. It was directed by Dean Devlin, and it was written by Brandon Boyce. The movie was filmed all in Portland, OR, and it's received mostly positive reviews from critics. I enjoyed the first half of the film, but became very bored by the second.

Sean Falco (Sheehan) is a poor restaurant valet, who breaks into people's homes using the vehicles he's entrusted by them. One night he finds a woman, named Katie (Condon), chained up in one of the houses he breaks into. Sean doesn't call the police, out of fear of being busted for his crimes, and later he deeply regrets it. He then risks his own life, multiple times, desperately trying to make up for his error in judgment and rescue Katie from her captor, Cale Erendreich (Tennant). Cale makes Sean's life very miserable in the process.

The movie has a great setup (it's really creepy, disturbing, interesting and involving), and then it goes absolutely nowhere equally as effective with it. I was so bored and annoyed by the third act of the film, that I couldn't wait for it to be over. I did really like the first half of the movie though. I like Dean Devlin as a filmmaker (in general), I like Sheehan as an actor, and I really like the Portland setting of the film as well. I can only recommend half the movie sadly still though.

Sean Falco (Robert Sheehan) is a good guy at heart with girlfriend Riley. Secretly, he's a small time thief with his buddy Derek Sandoval. They use their valet jobs to sneak into unsuspecting diners' homes. One such diner is ill-tempered Cale Erendreich (David Tennant). When Sean breaks into Cale's home, he discovers a woman chained up inside. He tries to do the right thing which has its repercussions.

This is an old fashion thriller and I like it as such. There are a couple of things that I like about the characters and a couple of things that I see possible improvements. I do like Sean's unabashed need to save the girl and I also like Derek's realistic need to save himself. I like both performances. As for Tennant, he is perfectly creepy. He does need to kidnap the girlfriend. That's the big opportunity missed by the movie. Instead, it becomes a misunderstanding which leaves her looking clueless. On the other hand, I don't mind the clueless police detective. He has reasons to be clueless. It's nice to have a smart FBI agent although she has a few too many backups. They're trying a little too hard. It's more intense to have Agent Fuller alone struggling inside the system. Overall, I like Sean as a smart normal thief who has morality which drives him and drives this movie.

I don't normally have much respect for movies like this. It's a story about a wacko who does bad things to people. So, my temptation is to say that it's just some contrived Hollywood product, designed only to give us the sensations of pseudo-fear and a little excitement. But then, I think about some of the murder, rape, and enslavement cases that have made the news lately, and I start to wonder: Maybe there is more truth to this story than I would like to admit.

I used to think that scaring an audience is really not that hard, but after seeing Bad Samaritan, I need to adjust that opinion. The challenge is to scare people in an artful manner, and I now see how difficult that can be. Personally, I think the makers of this film did a pretty good job; not great, mind you, but pretty good.

I'm glad the writer clearly outlined the protagonist's moral problem, as well as the courage it took to "do the right thing"; i.e., fight his evil opponent. I guess the bottom line for me is that it's too bad we have a movie industry that makes money by dealing with deranged story material like this. There is obviously a market for it, however, and that may be the saddest thing of all.

Original script. Believable cast. They make it work easily & all in all it looks like what a thriller should look like! For once I'm not grumbling in disappointment over lack of continuity or missed opportunities. Several layers thick with multidimensional characters that behave unexpectantly individual and unique instead of plotted. A pleasant surprise, indeed. Perhaps I should have rated it a 9!?

This movie takes you on an rollercoaster-like adventure that is suspenseful while also favorably is unpredictable. That being said, another thing this movie does well with is its realism. Each scene you see feels natural and true to life.

In addition, this movie doesn't cut any corners in the storytelling; there aren't any holes in the plot that you wonder about later while watching the movie.

In conclusion, this is a very well executed thriller and I would honestly recommend this movie!

Saw this movie on Amazon Prime. God, only because of the good reviews here i kept watching until the end. Jesus was this thing boring. At some parts beyond logical human behaivior. Who wrote this script? A twelve year old? I really despise lazy screenwriting where characters act far from any logic. Above all, the movie is BORING. Do yourself a favor, dont watch it.

I'm a fan of David Tennant, so I can't complain, even if it seems he's a bit typecasted for the bad guy lately. This was all around solid acting film with some dumb choices and a little too convenient plot twists.

Cat and Mouse Suspense Thriller not a horror movie a would be young adult robber breaks into a rich guys house looking for a score. As he is combing through the house finds a woman captive. The killer finds out what he did and the game of cat and mouse begins. This is not suppose to be a horror movie nor is it however its good guy verses bad guy verses good girl. There were parts where i wanted him to fight harder or be smarter but that never happens in movies. The movie should have ended with telling where the family was and his girl was. Other then that good movie.