Munger Road

So the first things you have to know about this movie are as follows: 1. It was supposed to have a sequel, but financial backing couldn't be drummed up, so it ends without an ending and will never be finished. See here for details as of 2013: http://goo.gl/Ba1gWH 2. It has all the trite expectations of a teen slasher flick with only one redeeming quality.

Now I am a horror and slasher fan, so I don't generally mind these things. But this one was over the top. Listed in no particular order of irritating:

*While trying to hide from a killer and be quiet, all the teens can do is scream at the top of their lungs.

* While running for help, teens run into an abandoned places where there is obviously going to be no help.

*Cops consistently "break up" even though there's no way any cop in their right mind would do such a thing.

*Somehow a very large city has only 2 cops who both work the night shift, and no one ever calls for backup!

*Cops clearly have no idea how to actually handle a gun as one of them could have shot his own head off several times and neither was holding it in a manner that would have involved any aim throughout the WHOLE movie. Even X Files got this right back in the 90s.

So what't the good part, the story development is well done and atmospheric. We flip back and forth from the teens (whom we obviously know are in danger) to the cops who bit by bit give the story of the killer. It was atmospheric as well and lacked the overdone movie style of giving the whole story of the killer near the beginning so that all viewers have to wait for is the inevitable deaths of most of the cast. This slow development, rather like a breadcrumb trail, allows the viewer to become involved in the story so that the irritating qualities of the teens can almost be passed over.

There are a LOT of stories, films, and documentaries about Munger Road. Watch something else. This movie has no ending. It was good until then. The missing ending did nothing but anger us and made us hate the entire movie. Here's a tip. People rarely like to wait a week to see the conclusion of a TV series "to be continued". I sure as hell don't want it in a movie. I don't care if I've spoiled it for those who haven't seen it. I hope they don't watch it specifically because this movie HAS NO ENDING. Screw that. I won't be watching a "sequel" either because now I don't care one fig what happened to any of those people. It had good acting. It was directed well. Proved to be scary at times. But will I watch it again or watch a sequel? NOT A CHANCE. Will I recommend it to others? NO WAY! I gave it one star because I had to give it a star. DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE unless you LIKE being left hanging without resolution.

Had this movie sitting in my Netflix account for months, because it looked interesting, and the desperation to find some really good horror films. Went to it last night and stayed with it, then got into it, then it's abrupt ending. It brought up some remembrances of Jaws, Halloween, and yes I have no use for those films where you only have the view of one of the characters holding a camera. If the director meant to end the film this way, bad, bad, bad. Just about everything was left hanging. More should have been resolved. If his intention was to do a sequel, but the money dried up, then I'm sorry. You were getting there but it ended badly.

This movie Could have been Great! It's really creepy! It's well acted! It's well directed! The music is astoundingly good! St. Charles, Illinois never looked so good on the big-screen! However, watching Munger Road is kind of like watching The Blair Witch Project with the last 10 minutes of the film missing. The film is missing a conclusion. Munger Road does a wonderful job of creating tension, suspense and then pops all of that beautiful momentum like a balloon in your face without even attempting an adequate, plausible, or even fantastic explanation. It just ends! Which is really a big let down because most of this film is really good. So it you don't mind watching a good horror movie without an ending by all means check out Munger Road.

I understand that a good horror movie often leaves one with questions at the end, but this movie felt incomplete. The ending is abrupt and without direction, leaving so many unanswered questions that the audience just sat there and asked, "Is that it?". Setting up for a sequel is understandable but I think the viewer needs more of a hook...(Although I'll probably go see Munger 2.) The story, though unoriginal, does have a fair amount of suspense. There are several scenes that give a good jolt but nothing ever gets resolved. I can't recommend this film. As a resident of St Charles now and a person that drives past that location every day, I wanted to love this movie. There were so many directions this could have gone and it chose none. That's a shame.