Cruel and Unusual

This film is one of those direct to video movie. They get a middle weight name like Tom, and try to sell it using his name. Well this isn't that bad like most direct of video movie, actual it's ok. Tom is a good actor, and the script is ok. It's not a high budget, and they got a scene that looks like one of those West Coast Canadian Rock video's. (ie Chalk Circle) Well, rent it, it won't kill you. 6/10

This Canadian film starts with Art Stone(Tom Berenguer),he's a stranger with a magnetic personality.He results to be a psycho-killer who killed several people from South Carolina till Washington State.The psycho is picked up hitch-hiking on the roadway by a professor(Gabay) going to an Oregon watchtower.Stoner takes his identity and one time in the fishing village, he befriends two brothers, Kate(Rachel Hayward), an attractive spinster and Mike(Tygh Runyan), a troubled young man.

This independent picture packs suspense, thriller, sensational outdoors and stunning performances. However contains some moments little boring and slow movement, furthermore a strong sexual scenes, for that reason is rated ¨R¨ for sexuality and language. Nice acting for starring pair, Tom Berenguer and Rachel Hayward, and enjoyable Tygh Runyan who plays with his guitar on the summit of the lighthouse, because he's actually a singer, playing in a Vancouver experimental band. The film displays a glimmer cinematography by Peter Benison, filmed in locations of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.The motion picture is regularly directed by George Mihalka who had previously directed similar stories( Psychic, Relative fear).He's usually movies television director( Crossbow, Da Vinci's inquest, Windsor protocol) and occasionally motion pictures director (Bullet to Beijing, the return of Harry Palmer). Rating : Average but entertaining for serial-killers genre buffs.

i love Tom Berringer and i love serial killer stories but this movie was absolutely terrible. i put down like 3 other DVD's when i rented this, just for the sake of the plot description and Berringer's name. i regret it. it was a waste of time. stay away.

This film seemed atmospheric and tense, but it was a little boring and the ending was anticlimactic. The music came across as intrusive and annoying - there was no point of the high pitched electric guitars used in dramatic scenes. Smoking scenes were just too much and they became distracting.

This might be recommended for thriller fans only, but people who are not in to this genre will become very bored, as this is a slow-burn type of thriller. It's mostly a drama with the brother slowly and slowly starting to suspect that the serial killer is dangerous.

Between the two there is a lot of talking scenes, and at times there is tension. There is also a erotica, between his sister and the killer, towards the middle-end of the film. I believe the whole romance between the two was forced.

The film has the annoying cliché where the main character thinks a person is crazy and his friends don't believe it (here, it's the sister), even though the main character is always right.

The ending was awful. I hated how it just abruptly ended. Who stabbed who? There was some bad editing there.

All the performances here are very good, and the eerie tone of this movie, about a serial murderer and his effect on the people he encounters, becomes it's driving force (as opposed to the usual cat-and-mouse, thriller premise). The motivations of the protagonists are subtly explored, and the movie is awash with sexual tension and scenic texture. The chess-game scene is remarkably creepy and effective. This little murder story is highly recommended for discriminating adults.