Bait

I thought this was a solid 7 for about 3/4 of the movie even though it was a bit preposterous at times, but the ending (well, not the very end) sort of ruined the entire film for me. It was beyond preposterous and rife with stupidity. I'm not going to give it away, but let's just say the weapon the women used to try to take out their adversary was a rather poor choice, and their plan didn't seem particularly well thought out. Nonetheless, that scene did contain some entertaining gore. The acting was fine and there was enough suspense to keep me wondering how this would ultimately play out. Because of the ending, I can't necessarily recommend the film, but it wouldn't be the worst one you've ever seen either.

The first 5 minutes starts off okay, a little slow but good production value, decent dialog. It all goes down hill from there. 35 minutes into it and nothing's happening.

Eventually, the violence starts, but it's so unrealistic and over the top, it's not believable, even within the context of the story.

The violence is really fake too, with everyone getting beat to bloody hell, then walking around sporting a couple band-aids, like they are super-human. Sometimes, even the physics stand out as obviously wrong.

This movie is frankly stupid. As it drags on, even the dialog and filming goes downhill, as if the crew realized just what a bad a movie they were making and gave up on it.

Normally, I try to finish bad movies so I can leave a complete review, but with this one after an hour I had to fast-forward through most of it.

The only reason I gave it two stars in the actors seemed to be trying with what little they were given.

Bait is a really cool film about debt collection in a small Yorkshire town, made by a guy who is in the U.K. soap Emmerdale apparently.

What is very clever about the film is the use of women as the victim/aggressors yes there are lots of films like this, but it's all about the way it's done. It's supremely clever, with some really good sub plots, horrific special effects (in a good way) and some absolutely blinding performances from the two leading ladies, one of whom is very courageous as she spends much of the film in her underwear.

I can't explain too much, but this film really is very well put together. It's not perfect, but what is? In the meantime is some very clever story telling, blinding direction and gripping action.

Bex and Dawn dream of opening a cafe together. Out of the blue, a generous businessman offers them the funds they need to make that dream a reality. Joy turns to crippling fear when the friends discover a vicious loan shark, who expects repayments or for them to suffer the consequences. Truly frightening and superbly written, this is a morality tale for the 21st century. The film is gritty to say the least with superb performances from the main cast who tackle the grim premise with a reality that's heart-breaking. Burrows beneath your skin from the off, with a sly edit that ekes out the tension to unbearable levels

I saw this film at it's premiere at the Leeds International Film Festival 2014 and was delighted to find a gripping story with very interesting characters. Both female leads were fantastic in their roles and I was gripped from start to finish. It is a definite step up for Director Dominic Brunt after his directorial debut with Before Dawn (2012) and both the character building and story have improved dramatically. The story is thrilling and the actions of the film's Loan Shark villain are brutal and visceral, often shockingly so. This only adds to the gritty, real world quality the film presents to us. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good thriller! 10/10