96 Minutes

One of the things that might bring the movie down for you (as it did for me), was/is the acting. It is very crucial to feel or at least be with those characters along the ride (no pun intended). The movie does not achieve that goal wholly in my humble opinion. So while this is dramatic (and the storyline with flashbacks shouldn't be confusing, it's actually adding to the suspense up to a point), it fails to really completely suck you in.

Is reality that bleak though, is what some people seem to ask, and the answer can be yes. It depends where you live and what you consume. I was a bit mad at first, because the movie showed one character playing a war game and this character is hostile. It feeds into clichés, which isn't really good. Fortunately they also showed, that other factors are playing a role in the development of ones character. Decent overall, worth a watch I'd say

I don't normally write reviews, but I'm annoyed with films on IMDb rating as 50/50, that turn out to be worth watching. Other reviewers have complained about the flash back narrative being confusing, it's not - so make your own judgement about the reviewers in question. Also reviewers believe 'the story line is unrealistic' and if modern society was like this we're in trouble; well this is supposed to based around real events and we are in trouble, anyone who doesn't know that needs to open their eyes.

Yes the acting is a little wooden in places, but if the real life events took place as illustrated - it's a touching homage to those who have suffered. Respect to the film makers also, some of the more potentially dramatic and harrowing scenes have been skipped over, removing unnecessary sensationalism.

I think the main problem with this movie is how the characters weren't developed properly, I think they wasted time in footage that was useless for the movie and they left out many details that could've given us a better insight into each character. Also the movie left you with a feeling of inconclusiveness. I think the characters were weak, except Dre which was portrayed by Evan Ross, almost all the emotional charge of the movie was entirely on his shoulders. He carried the movie throughout the end, but still you get the feel that they could've done more with his character. Truth is, I couldn't bring myself to feel any empathy for the victims in the movie, and the only character that inspired me to feel anything (Dre) still wasn't enough to make me feel like this movie had real effort. All in all it's a good one time watch.

I saw this at sxsw and can't stop thinking about it. I work at an inner city school part time and the way this film portrayed the life our kids are living, the oppressive messages they receive and choices they face everyday was so eerily true to life that I just can't shake it. It's a thriller, don't get me wrong, it has your guts in knots the entire time, but there is so much more to it. It has such compassion for all the characters even as it portrays them doing terrible things.

The acting is outstanding, especially Evan Ross who plays Dre and although we don't get to spend enough time with any of the individual characters (I would have liked to know more about the girls especially) we're still drawn in to each of their stories which is ultimately what makes us care about what happens to them in the end. The various story lines are skillfully woven together in a visually arresting manor that brings something new to the multiple storyline genre. A lot of the themes are familiar, but they are handled in a new and fresh way that rings true to life.

It is a very intense film so you have to like that kind of thing, but I would recommend this film to anyone. It will get you thinking.

This film kept me on the edge of my seat! It cuts back and forth between four young people who are all struggling with adulthood responsibilities while being from different ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds. The contrast is really what made it interesting, and how they all came together on this terrible night.

The performance by Evan Ross won him an a much deserved award at SXSW, and Jonathan Michael Trautmann also did a wonderful job. His presence on screen was frightening, and I was actually unsure of what his character was capable of. Brittany Snow is also worth mentioning, as I felt this was a very different role for her and she wore it well.

All around, this film is definitely worth a watch. It's based on a true story and says a lot about adolescence, poverty, and the social classes of today.