Red Canyon

I don't know how anyone who has actually seen other movies would call this a movie with great acting. This movie is clouded with sophomoric scare tactics and so much melodrama that it was actually way more humorous than scary. I wont even address the ridiculous plot but i would like to thank the other reviewers on this forum who have referred to this as a great horror flick that "requires thought." It does require thought in the same manner that reading a Peanuts comic strip requires thought. There is nothing complex or creative about this film. I was hoping that this would turn out to be one of those hidden gems that somehow missed the popular audience and for the first 10-15 minutes there seems to be just enough promise to keep the viewer locked in. It quickly spirals from there however and manages to commit enough tacky plot drifts that it becomes impossible to forgive. Ultimately if your looking for an intelligent horror flick with decent acting keep looking.

I'll try to be short and sweet. The directors and writers had an opportunity to tell an interesting, albiet messed up, story. They flopped. Camera work is shoddy. I could hardly understand half the dialogue. If I hadn't already known most of the story, I really don't think any of it would have made sense. Honestly, I watched it for Mr. Reedus. Even though his character is important to the story, he's really not in it enough to constitute watching it just for the eye candy.

Red Canyon follows Devon and Regiina and their friends on their visit to an old family home. Unfortunately, a depraved incident happened years ago, which has consequences in the present day.

Thankfully, unlike with say, that "Friday the 13th" remake, it actually feels like they're on vacation. For example, when the group is split up, someone asks whether they're going to return to the others before finding somewhere they can have lunch; which may be a little thing but it helps. Also, as they're arriving everyone seems tired of the others, something that often occurs during long road trips.

Unfortunately that leaves less time for actual characterisation. Regina seems traumatised by the past events, Tom seems to be the obnoxious guy and Terra might be the slutty girl unless that scene's intention was to characterise another guy as lecherous. That's about it.

Actually there isn't much splatter on screen but what's seen tends to be brutal. What drags the film down though is... without spoilers, I can only say there's a very long explanation of the past event which drags on for around ten minutes towards the finale. That's when I stopped caring, incidentally.

The film shows some promise and while decent, ultimately it's nothing special.

Films with Red in the title tend to be good for some reason. No i am not doing a list, though i will mention top Australian thriller Red Hill. This did not get a UK theatre release. I only know of it as it was given faint praise by Kim Newman in an issue of Empire mag on it's belated DVD release.It turns out to be a handsomely filmed Drama with horror overtones as two youngsters and their friends return to the family home in the badlands of Utah, where a brutal rape causes them to return to try to put it behind them. Not the best idea to say the least, but this manages to carry it off with a good script and decent acting.Think the opposite side of the plot in the excellent Wolf Creek and your nearly there. Well worth a look and there's a dog you would not take down the pub!

Red Canyon would never had the opportunity to be laying there on horror conventions these days wasn't it that Norman Reedus was in it with his Walking Dead fame. On the other hand, the sleeve looked great and did remind you of a Rob Zombie flick. But we all know that sleeves and promotion on the sleeve can trick the potential buyer.

I was fooled and only bought it for Reedus. It had so many possibilities to make it a great movie but the editing and the flash backs make this almost unwatchable. The throwback to explain what happened years ago are so badly done. The use frustrating shaky cams and in post production they added some blurry effect. By doing so the so-called gory parts are teared down to stupid scene's that do show a lot but doesn't work at all.

The flick itself had an okay story and I could dig the story but sadly the editor destroyed this flick.

Gore 0,5/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 0/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5