Dawning

Takes place at a Northern Minnesota lake cabin where a brother and sister visit their father and step-mom. As the first night unfolds with uncomfortable small-talk and tension, tragedy strikes.

The film itself is not bad. The concept is quite strong -- a family, already tense, is put on edge by a stranger who may be a crazy killer or my be trying to save them from something even worse. The choice to not show the something even worse actually made the film stronger (was this for budget reasons or simply to allow for our imaginations to run wild?).

I have to give it some personal respect for being shot in Hayward, Wisconsin. Being a 30-year Wisconsin native, I always enjoy seeing our state get some film time. We have had our share of good films shot here, but there is always room for more. While this is not the greatest film, it is still welcome.

My problem with the film was the hackneyed dialogue. The acting was not bad, but the lines were cheesy. What really turned me off was the son telling the dad, "Yeah, walk away. You're really good at that." That line is so cheesy, so unrealistic and cliché. I just cannot see a son really saying that to his dad.

Beyond that, any real problems were budget issues. This same script given to a production company with a million or two to throw around and we would have a successful feature. I hate to knock a film for its budget, but in this case I have to. I have seen more done with less, but here the shortfalls were just too apparent.

You might still wish to give the film a chance. Maybe I was just feeling critical the day I watched it. Many others have loved it and the director, Gregg Holtgrewe, has received a fair amount of praise. And, personally, Gregg is a really nice guy, so I feel his work deserves a fair shake. Best horror film you see this year? No. But still decent -- something like "Evil Dead" meets "Feast", with an Ingmar Bergman influence.

It could have been an interesting concept. Unfortunately, the script is unrealistic and the acting is poor (especially the actress who plays the sister). The story is too slow-paced, as if the director didn't know himself in which direction he was going. From the first minute, it is hard to sit back and enjoy the film as the director doesn't have the capacity to make you forget you actually are watching a film. It is impossible to feel any fear or tension, or any kind of emotion at all, as the actors don't project anything (the script doesn't help them). The way the characters react is completely unnatural, even at the beginning. The end is disappointing, nothing makes any sense. Basically, a waste of time.

"Dawning" is a pretty decent psychological thriller that is marred by some uneven acting and a non-great ending. The director does an effective job with the pacing, and I thought the family drama that played out was realistic and well-acted.

However, some of the acting feels as if they could have run through a couple more takes and it probably would have helped to re-shoot a couple of the scenes, something that the budget probably didn't allow for. That said, I thought the film got many things right, from the tight camera work and the believable, relate-able characters that you wind up caring about to the contrast between the brightly-lit cabin and the dark, wind- blowing-through-the-trees creepy forest.

If you're considering watching this film, and are wondering if you'll enjoy it, here's a simple test: you're flipping through channels late one night. On one channel, a couple Twilight Zone episodes are playing. On another, one of the latter Saw sequels is on. If you're the sort of person who'd rather watch the Twilight Zone episode, then you'll probably enjoy this film.

Okay-ish effort for a no-budget digital feature with some fair performances by a pretty good cast for a film of this size.

My biggest problem with the film is the fact that it treads no new ground. There was some potential here - some genuine suspense but the ending is nothing more than a yawn inducing been there done that sort of affair.

The director clearly has some flair and creates some decent chills. I've read some reviews bemoaning the budget of the film which personally I think is a BS cop-out for lazy scriptwriting.

Having no budget is no excuse for bad writing. Can anyone say EVIL DEAD!!??? This is where the film falls a little flat is in it's scripting - the characters are well drawn and you do give a damn but the interest level fades quickly as the film makes it's way to it's all too lame denouement.

Terrible movie. It was neither scary nor interesting. I found myself getting irritated because it went nowhere. The movie had no direction. Dumbest ending ever