The Return

In THE RETURN, a businesswoman is drawn to a small town where a woman was murdered 15 years before. The murderer was never caught although suspicion fell on the slain woman's beau. The businesswoman, played by a dark-haired and rather subdued Sarah Gellar, sees the face of this woman in dreams and even in mirrors. She tracks down the woman's boyfriend, whom she seems to know, and eventually they sort out the mystery and uncover the real killer. The ending contains a twist that most murder mystery fans will have guessed much earlier, but it came as a shock to me, as I am not particularly good at this kind of thing (although I knew what happened in THE SIXTH SENSE as soon as Don Wahlberg shot Bruce Willis, the result of my years working as an ER orderly). Gellar is low-key and acts just unnerved enough by all the odd doings to be believable. The film is shot mostly in monotone, and this adds to the brooding atmosphere. Sam Shepherd has a small role as Gellar's dad.

OK. Well...The Return. Sarah Michelle Gellar's latest genre addition finds her running from a cowboy with a killer past. Asif Kapadia's sophomore effort, after 2001's The Warrior, will likely disappoint more than entertain. The story is convoluted and under developed, and aside from Gellar's Joanna, we really don't have any idea why any of the other characters are there. However, in stark comparison to the other filler thrillers we have seen for years, The Return boasts excellent camera work and even better art direction and cinematography. It is told in heavy visual style, which is a refreshing take on an old tale. Twitchy camera movement heightens the suspense and paranoia of the film while the bleak colors and atmosphere add themes of isolation and desolation. Gellar is exceptional as Joanna Mills, a successful midwesterner constantly on the road to elude some painful past, not to mention the hallucinations and creepy visions she keeps enduring. It is a solid transition from horror to... something else. And while we as an audience may not have any idea what Gellar is pulling, it's certain that she does, and is making some very interesting and risky role choices which adds to her versatility. (Keep your eyes peeled for her work in Southland Tales as a porn-star come reality-television conoisseur) I am not going to bore you with the details of the story, since every other review basically regurgitates the little material there is to work with. The plot isn't bad, it's just very minimalistic and sparse on character detail, which, for an atmosphere and mood-driven film like this one, is a fatal mistake. The suspense is good, it holds enough tension to keep you entertained enough to keep watching. The supporting cast are all pretty good, no Oscar contenders here but take it for what it is. The score is effective, using violins and chimes to purvey a sense of dread and malice. The visual style is very compelling, we feel like we're in Texas, seeing this happen through a series of well thought out, well lit shots that subtley take us deeper into Joanna's psychological state. The scene where she awakes in the field is one of the best, and proves that Kapadia's second feature may not be the greatest, but started out to be a very different, innovative project that got a little muddled in post-production. A good film, I'd wait for DVD, but the creepy soundbytes and ghostly whispers won't have the same effect as in the theatre. The Return is definitely misunderstood, but for those keen enough to see it through, you will get a glimpse of isolated, lonely people just looking to connect and get over the issues that have brought them together.

This is an intelligent, intense and dark spiritual movie which I certainly enjoyed. A superior production and direction and in my opinion appears to be well under rated by the voters of IMDb.

A young woman is tormented by her past and "returns" to her home to discover, if she can, the reasons for her haunting recollections and the questions raised include: is she mad? Or is her past or another's' being relived through her memories? The film is appropriately made in sombre autumnal colors in keeping with the ambiance of the story,and is an adult drama.

I was impressed with all the actors especially the attractive lead female who is charismatic, convincing and highly watchable.

Well done the film-makers, a sound, 7/10.

I watched "The return" yesterday and I have mixed feelings about it. People who come to this movie expecting a horror flick, or an action-packed thriller, will be bitterly disappointed. I would define it as a drama based on supernatural elements. And, as a drama, it's a very slow-paced one, so be prepared for it.

What I appreciated most about this movie is the director's style. It's a brand new way of making a horror movie. It relies on the settings and the personality of the characters to create an atmosphere of anguish and claustrophobia. And in this, it succeeds. The movie actually transmitted me feelings of loneliness, menace, and doom, and if it does the same for you, you should just let yourself go with those feelings, because that's the power of the movie.

Other than that, the central mystery is pretty meager and easy to see after a while. The ending might be a shocker for some, but I don't think it will be for the majority of people. If you're looking for a powerful story based on surprise and shock, I certainly don't recommend this movie.

However, it can be a delightful experience for those who are interested in new styles of making movies in the overexploited genre of horror and mystery. Also, the acting is very good; I especially liked Sarah Michelle Gellar, and her fans should see it too.

I just got back from The Return and loved it. It certainly wasn't amazing, but it was a huge cut above other movies like it. I went into this expecting a movie like Dark Water. More of a drama than anything scary. I was wrong. Return had a whole lot more scares than Dark Water, but had a story to back it up, not to say Dark Water didn't have any. Sarah's acting was a whole lot better than her other movies, which added to the scares. It was a bit confusing at times but the ending brought it all together. the scares were mostly jump moments, but the atmosphere and cinematography added on to them.Go and see this movie, but don't expect stupid scares like the Grudge 2, and enjoy the ride. The return was a well acted, slow moving yet wonderfully intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time.