Nailbiter

Nailbiter was better than I expected. These days a lot of low-budget horror movies have been disappointing. So, it was nice that this came along and did something a little different.

The plot involves a mother and her three daughters living in Kansas awaiting the return of of the father. They are going to meet the him at the airport when they get sidetracked by a tornado. They find the nearest house and, unable to get inside, hide in the cellar. This turns out to be a huge mistake as the family upstairs is connected to a group of carnivorous monsters that tend to get riled up during storms.

One thing that was special about this was the plot didn't advance in quite the way I expected it to. I thought for sure they weren't going to harm these girls, but I was very wrong. There isn't a lot of on- screen violence but what's there is enough to create tension.

The acting was pretty strong, if a little spotty, good for a low-budget horror anyway. A few of the performances do stand out, especially the Sheriff and the oldest daughter. The music was robust and does a good job of setting a tone and providing cues. The monster make-up is good but underused. I don't think you ever really get a good look at a whole one. Although there are a couple nice scenes where you get close ups of their faces.

Lastly, The film sets itself up for a sequel and given the context I would very much like to see it. This has a solid premise and a bigger budget and some more action would suit it nicely I think.

I was expecting a lot from NAILBITER after the first five minutes. After all, in those five minutes I found out it was a well-shot and initially engaging film, one that took the time to develop character and situation unlike so many these days. I was hoping for something better than the usual run-of-the-mill horror guff.

Unfortunately after just a handful of minutes NAILBITER gets significantly worse when the main characters find themselves holed up in a cellar to escape from an approaching tornado. After this point, they're trapped in the cellar FOR THE ENTIRE RUNNING TIME. In the dark. There's a mutant monster on the loose, yes, but he's barely glimpsed and seems incidental to the main storyline, which is just about those women sitting around in the cellar and complaining. Of course, there's time for a ridiculously over the top ending along the way.

The film is very underwhelming for the genre. None of the cast are familiar and none of them give very good performances; none of the protagonists are likable either. Bloodshed is kept to a minimum, and the horror itself is limited to those dumb jump scares that work for very few people these days. In other words, there's virtually no reason to watch this.

First time reviewer, but this was a tragedy that called itself a movie, and more than enough inspiration for me to sign in and write. Name a component of film-making and this atrocity cussed it out and b*tch- slapped it in the face.

I adore horror. Even the most avid horror fan would be shocked at the dogs I have sat through and thought were OK. Don't get me wrong; there are other movies I would rate a "1" and feel was on par with this one, but something about this particular piece of crap just insulted me. Maybe it was the acting, particularly Erin McGrone's. She made me want to punch someone in then face and cry. There's something desperately wrong when the kids' acting is far superior to the adults'. Then there was the script writing, which was probably done by two drunk orangutans.

I guess the part that pushed me over the cliff was that the concept was actually a GOOD IDEA. I wish Eli Roth had somehow been involved in the production, due to the mix of natural disaster and horror (a la Aftershock.) I hate to see ideas with potential go to sore waste. If it's this bad, it should be a standard one-aspect movie.

A waste of precious time on earth.

A mother and her three daughters are going on a weekend trip when they soon find themselves caught in the middle of a storm. A tornado heads directly for their car so they seek shelter in an abandoned wine cellar. They discover they are trapped and whoever owns the house wants to keep it that way. Within the shadows something begins to stir. They are not alone in the darkness...

I give it a B- because although predictable, it offers good acting and the feeling of claustrophobia. The characters are also likable and more three dimensional then cereal box creature features. The creatures themselves wouldn't make a five year old wet their pants, but it's the idea that suppose to be scary. Check this movie out if you are a horror fan. It's at least entertaining.

Another horror movie worth checking out. Just do not expect to much but expect a lot of blood and and gore.