F

First thoughts : This will going to be something good. No zombies, no aliens, no sadistic crap ... just pure it-could-happen-to-everyone horror movie. Maybe with expected ending, maybe something new, but I thought let's give it a try. And movie continues that way. Each human has some boundaries that either he is kept in them forever, or (if pushed too hard) breaks them and escapes, does something (super)natural or at least ... something. Both ways are good, which is human end of the day. But no. Not this one, not our hero. This movie tries to show something new, some alternative perspective while it enters into a nonsense experimentalism, virtual apparent calmness, which is just not realistic. This movie can even make you nervous as it is that silly. It would be better if movie would continue into direction of psychological internal battle of the main "hero" (whether to do something or do nothing) or deeper character analysis than entering into some very poor horror atmosphere, which at the end leaves you empty as shell. So why even bother to write a short poor review about this poor movie ? Purely for the reason that someone else would not make the same mistake I did by watching it. Actors are good, no doubt, but their performance and story they want to tell is just awful. For the beginning of the movie I give 10, for the ending 0. (if this would exist). Sooo average ... or even below.

I made an appearance at a preview of 'F' in Cambridge recently this year.

Though it wasn't a fantastic horror and yes there were some clichés and repetitive moments, I was still thinking about it when I left.

I was thoroughly surprised at the 18 certificate because you rarely see any of the violence taking place, just the gory aftermath, yet this is where the brilliance lies.

Everything was suggested through the camera work. Tension built, shocks revealed and moods created through the use of one camera. The close-ups became reasonably annoying but it is impossible to deny that it was well filmed, very well filmed. The soundtrack was very good and was consistently played which is reminiscent of John Carpenter's films. 'The Thing' comes to mind.

David Schofield carried the film, especially compared to the rest of the cast. His performance was solid and believable. As has been said before, the rest of the cast members were a bit too bland to empathise with, some even used as cannon fodder.

The lighting was brilliant as well, successfully evoking the tension out of its viewers. Additionally, although there was a trick, the 'Hoodies' were fantastically lit, keeping them faceless. The 'Hoodies' are where I feel a lot of people misunderstood the film.

The 'Hoodies' are faceless forces of evil. They are silent, deadly, malicious. They are a symbol of todays violent youth (take the student protest in London recently as an example). The 'Hoodies' were an enigma, a force within and apart of the school. This is where I had the most fun in the film, watching these things cause chaos. When the 'Hoodies' were looming we would know, and that made them ten times creepier.

The ending, love it or hate it, was different and strangely invigorating.

'F', despite the minor clichés, it's slight dip into repetition and bland characters (apart from a couple), and I suppose the lack of a substantial plot, is a fresh film. It is entertaining with some moments of horror and some genuinely brilliant filming, especially when the 'Hoodies' are looming.

Most importantly, there are horrors churned out by Hollywood these days that are skid marks in comparison to this. So if you're a person that enjoyed those terrible remakes such as 'One Missed Call,' or 'Prom Night,' which this film shouldn't really be associated with, then this is definitely worth a watch, in fact it is utterly fantastic compared with those.

One bit in particular is worth watching if you're a Hollyoaks fan... or hater. 6.5 / 10

Reading some of the reviews about F, it is clear that there are a few misguided and unimaginative people out there. Fair dos to them - they are entitled to their own opinions! For the more open-minded people out there:

This film marries together several different film genres to create quite a unique experience. It relies on the audience being able to envisage in their own mind how the story progresses and ends, giving just enough clues to help them along the way.

If cut and dry endings and 100% gore is what you are after, then this isn't going to be the film for you. While F does have several toe curling scenes, that is not all it's about.

I challenge all avid film buffs and viewers to watch this film and identify all the 'non-horror' influences and techniques that have gone into its making. Appreciation for these qualities will mean appreciation for a very talented film maker - hopefully with plenty more films to come!

The bad guys could have been nutbars, murderous ex students or zombies... They're THAT generic.

Worse, the premise of the bad guys ALWAYS being behind their victims... It's like none of the characters ever heard of "the second Raptor" (Jurassic Park reference for those unfamiliar... Which shouldn't be many by this point!).

The cops who show up, could have been extras from ANY horror movie. Somethings going wrong, what should we do first off, split up. Duh.

Definitely a gore-fest. VERY formulaic. It's too bad, as the actors could have done SO much better, if the director would have actually put some serious effort into storyline instead of the gore factor.

The ending was the only bit that came across as realistic. In a human sense, if not a movie ending sense.

In "the making of" on the DVD the writer/director claims it took him 2 years to write the script. One can only conclude that he lost most of it and ran out of money before he'd finished shooting it.

The acting and horror are all at "Hollyoaks" level. This mess lasts a pitiful 75 minutes including titles AND HAS NO ENDING.

A school is attacked by hoodies except the hoods are completely pitch black with nobody inside. And you're never going to find out who they were or what their motive was because the film just ends.

Complete dreck and a waste of time. Even the digital grading has been messed up - it's a green/yellow mess.