Blood River

Blood River is one of the better Indy films I've seen in a long time. The lead actor is exceptional and the rest of the small cast deliver fine and engrossing performances, the look of this film is top draw and the location was right on the money, a spooky ghost town. The story had me memorized and on the edge of my seat. The transformation of the victims were totally engrossing and the climax was horrifying. The style was straight forward and simple, which adds to it's classy film making. All the tension built just fine to a climatic ending. After leaving the the theater, I found myself thinking about some of the bad things I've done in my life and even called a friend to apologize about the thing I did, which he wasn't aware of. It made me search my soul and think a lot about being a better man. Rod Serling would be proud.

A couple driving through the desert crashes their car due to a blowout and are left stranded. They decide to head for a nearby town called Blood Creek to search for help and meet a mysterious stranger who calls himself Joseph.

The film is directed by Adam Mason, a man whose greatest skill is creating great looking films for very little money, and the film does indeed look great. Unfortunately, it lacks the creative touch that was very apparent in his previous work The Devil's Chair (which I gave a very high score). Indeed, the film feels uninspired and watching it is a bit like going through the motions.

This is a shame, because there is a glimpse of something great hiding within the religious angle that the film takes. I wish that this had been explored in more depth, but instead this is covered by clichés that border on parody.

By far, the worst part of Blood Creek is the characterization of the two leads; the man is aggressive and loud, the woman is passive and dripping with tears. This is the case from the get-go and only gets worse as the film goes on. I assume that this is somewhat intentional, but it crosses the line between believable human flaws and annoying caricature.

The best part is the performance of Andrew Howard as the mysterious traveler Joseph. While he does have the best material to work with, it is pretty clear that he is the one with the acting chops and he pretty much carries the film single-handedly.

Despite the good craftsmanship (cinematography and sound is great), I would recommend watching something else. While Blood Creek is not offensively bad, it presents a handful of moments of annoyance and leaves no lasting impression.

When I see a low budget production(that shows) with clever directing and writing, excellent acting and a touch of "new", I feel like sharing my opinion, because certainly it was a nice surprise. I picked it up at local video rental thinking it to be a stinker, or an exploitation film of some kind. What a surprise. A supernatural thriller, and one that, budget considered, delivers.

It works as a religious version of The Hitcher - actually, it seems like it was written by 80s icon Eric Red.

Acting by the not so large cast is way above average, my compliments to all of them. The actor who played Joseph was quite effective, he surely deserves more chances in the big screen. The girl was beautiful, and could act as well. The guy who played the husband also delivers effectivelly.

In a way, the direction has got a touch of Katryn Bigalow in After Dark - the film is pure 80s and I will probably look for more films of this group.

Alternative cinema is not totally lost. It seems to have found its way, when we see films like those. Guys, you did a good job.

This is a movie that I think you will either completely love or completely hate. There is a lot of psychology involved. It made me reflect on what sins I have committed and whether one sin is worse than the next. In the movie a couple sets out on a journey. They pass a hitchhiker and refuse to give him a ride. Further in the movie, their car breaks down. They walk to find the nearest town and find it abandoned. Eventuall the hitchhiker shows up and tells them that if they can siphon gas from their car, they car get his car going. From here the relationships among the three take many different turns and by the end, you're not quite sure who did what or if it was all just a trick of the mind. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure it's for people that are not into dissecting the hidden messages in movies.

I was definitely let down by this film. This is partly my fault for having high expectations due to someone else's post.

The acting is decent enough to carry the film but I was longing for it to end. Was too unbelievable and predictable. The overall plot is a good premise but failed to execute. I was left watching the credits wondering why I watched this movie in its entirety. My only explanation is that I was hoping for some salvation at the end and my prayers were not answered.

I know everyone is a critic so if your like me, take the time to watch it but you will have been warned. Others here hype this into more than it is. Makes me wonder what there favorite horror movie is. This is another good B attempt at a good premise.