Highway Psychos

I say this film a couple of nights ago when I couldn't find anything to watch. Having seen the first couple of minutes I was wondering if I'd made the right decision, I'm glad I stuck with it because this is one very cool film. Twists that keep you guessing, fantastic acting, an unusual ending, splendid locations. And, the absolutely gorgeous Radha Mitchell. See this film, you won't be disappointed.

One question though - what is it with Volvo's? They appear in almost every film I've ever seen!

I saw this one years ago and it was a nice discovery.

This is a pure film. All built on its characters and storytelling development.

It's a B movie from Australia - which makes me happier, this is a country that I used to live in - that has nothing but a good story to tell and a good acting.

All set in basically three or four locations in which the art direction and the cinematography took the best out of them, transforming the loneliness and the emptiness of the places in a excellent element of the film.

The editing is very intelligent, always helping the twists of the movie getting more intense and also giving that motion and never letting the tension down.

Bottom line, it's a "old-time-kind-of-movie" in which no rush is seen and things happen when it has to happen.

8/10.

When Strangers Appear wasn't marketed very well to say the least - the trailer makes it out to be another Scream clone - and that's a real shame as this little thriller is an excellent film that really deserves to be more seen! New Zealand born director Scott Reynolds previously made the decent psychological thriller 'The Ugly', but with this film he really upped the bar. The beauty of When Strangers Appear is the fact that for most of the film, the audience never really knows what is going on, and that is exactly how a mystery thriller should be! The film starts off as we follow Beth to work. It seems like an ordinary (boring) day, until a strange drifter walks in. After giving him breakfast, he disappears when three surfers turn up. He claims that the surfers are following him and are also the reason for his stab wound. However, the trio of surfers have a very different story, as it transpires that the stranger appears to be a dangerous psychopath. After a shocking turn of events, Beth finds herself in the middle of an extremely dangerous situation.

This film works thanks to the way that Scott Reynolds builds the atmosphere and tension. The central character, Beth, is very easy to feel for; while the supporting cast are all mysterious enough to generate interest themselves. The film is topped off by a whole host of brilliantly tense situations that help to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The bathroom scene is the biggest standout in this respect, and is positively nail biting! The isolated setting compliments the story excellently, and helps to build intrigue in its own right. The plot builds nicely throughout, and there's never a shortage of things happening. The fact that the film only features a handful of characters is certainly to its benefit too as it means that the film never loses its focus and this ensures that it's always easy to buy into the plot. It's true that When Strangers Appear isn't very substantial overall, but as a thriller it serves it's purpose well all the way up until the explosive ending and I see no reason why this film wont be enjoyed by anyone who takes the time to watch it. Very much recommended!

A beatiful trip into the cinematographic nihilistic non sense of a story without real meaning, but tight, well written and with a cool music all around. This is a thriller how it should be done, without relaxation, always on the edge of something, full of surprises and with good acting for most of the leads. This is another good surprise from down under, thanks to the misunderstood genius of new-zealander Scott Reynolds, whose The Ugly was something of a miracle, a really disturbing tense horror, not very much appreciated. The female lead is the gorgeous Radha Mitchell (already seen in Pitch Black). What more can I say? Buy or rent this movie and you'll find your money well spent. Thumbs up!!

The people who have written most of these comments are disappointed of the ending. I say that the ending takes the film a step higher! You don't have to analyze everything and you don't have to come up with meanings that you believe is the idea of the film and then hate them. At least it won't make anyone happier. There is no background music in this film, as I recall, and there are very few people. That sets the mood, and it's a pretty frightening one. Pressuring even. The filming is great, or so I think anyway. My best tip for those who are going to see this movie is that you shouldn't have expectations. This film won't give you all the answers you perhaps will be looking for but it gives you a feeling of something, and if you ask me it's just what films are for - Making you think and/OR making you feel something. In this case, the mood. Beautiful. Top score.