Black Pond

Creepy, uncomfortable, cheap, and actually lacking imagination. It is very confusing when watching the film without the aid of a preview, one doesn't quite understand if it has a serious intent or is just a spoof. The conclusion is quickly that it's a bad spoof. Dysfunctional family, weird outsider, dodgy dog. A dog's dinner. In fact the three legged dog was the best actor. There is a real danger of one being trapped into thinking it's good because it's alternative and built on a £25k budget. It's only just above awful because my compatriots giggled and didn't dump the DVD. but only just. Unfortunately one laughs for all the wrong reasons. Deeply depressing..I lost my sense of humour in the black pond.

I've been eagerly anticipating Chris Langham's comeback and this movie doesn't disappoint! Welcome back, you were dearly missed!

Langham's ability to infuse his character with a startling naturalism is the cornerstone of this film's success. Every nuance, every gesture feels authentic, allowing us to forge a deep and immediate connection with the story. This authenticity is what propels Black Pond into an experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Langham's return to the limelight is a gift. His presence on screen is a reminder of the depth and versatility that only a seasoned actor of his caliber can bring.

Please don't let the IMDb summary,and indeed the film's own trailer deceive you. This film is not really about a murder,except that's what they are accused of.It's about a dysfunctional couple(with two away from home daughters) and how their lives are changed,and indeed turned upside down by the entry into their lives of a clinically depressed neighbour called Blake. It's one of those films that will benefit from repeat viewing,as it has many nuances that you just cannot pick up in one time. A good thought provoking,and at times moving film. Do give it a try.I am not sure how this film will go down in the US,as although they have the same family problems there,they also have a different way of looking at things.

...Simon Anstell. Edit him/his character out (as his acting simply jarred) and you have a 9/10. Was it a case of hero worship by a young Sharpe that he was invited to mar an otherwise excellent film?

I don't know who made this, what their funding was like, but it was very amateurish in feel. It wasn't bad, nothing shockingly awful, but neither was it entertaining, adult or polished.

Even accepting it for an indie flick, it just lacked something.

Langham was surely cast because they thought it would generate headlines, good or bad but he just lacked something and was phoning it in. The same with Amstell, he clearly did his cameo in one afternoon, probably as a favour to a mate and I wasn't really sure what the point of his character was. Which was a shame because it was his name that sparked my interest.

There was no story arc, you were clearly supposed to have already read the DVD cover and we were just there to see how it unfurled.

Very disappointing really.