Retreat

"Retreat" is a three-hander, starring Thandie Newton, Cillian Murphy and Jamie Bell (although there is one other character with a brief speaking part). Kate (Newton) and Martin (Murphy) have gone off to an island retreat to regroup after Kate miscarries; they return to a solitary cottage on a remote island where they had been happy years earlier, thinking it might help their relationship. But Kate is withdrawn and Martin doesn't know what to do, and the whole thing might not have been a very good idea after all. One day, they stumble upon Jack (Bell), an injured military man to whom they are quick to offer shelter. Unfortunately, the generator in the cottage has shorted out, and the CB radio seems not to be working, so when Jack tells them that a fast-moving and lethal air-borne infection has been sweeping the world and the only way to protect themselves from it is to barricade themselves inside the cottage, they have no way of knowing whether he's telling the truth or not. But Jack's decisive (and bullying) behaviour convinces at least Martin that something is going on, and although Kate initially resists and suggests that they just leave the cottage to the "crazy" man, she too is more or less bullied into submission. And it is true that something is going on, but whether they can figure it out in time to save themselves is an open question....

This is writer/director Carl Tibbetts' debut film. I expected it to be a very tense psychological thriller, and to some extent it is, but there are flaws that perhaps a more experienced scriptwriter and director could have smoothed out. Largest among these is the simple fact that if Martin had listened to Kate right after Jack shows up, they wouldn't have gotten into this mess. It's hard to swallow disbelief when some plot points are so, well, silly. This is not to pan the film at all – it's sharp, has some beautiful cinematography (it was filmed in Gwynedd, Wales), and a lot of the twists and turns (especially at the end) are unexpectedly rich. But really the best reason to see this film is for the acting; our three leads are just outstanding, with Thandie Newton's performance serving as the focus that holds the whole film together. Definitely recommended.

I had pretty high expectations for Retreat because:

 A. I'm a big fan of both Thandie Newton and Cillian Murphy.

and...

B. I like thrillers in general, and it's been a while since I've seen a good one.

And does it live up to those expectations? Not particularly. It's certainly a tense movie, with a menacing stranger showing up at the remote island vacation cottage of a couple, bringing with him frightening tales of a global pandemic. They mustn't leave and they must seal themselves away inside the cottage to avoid the certain death that outside contact and infection brings... according to him. But, is he telling the truth? Is the threat really the world outside, or the man in their home?

There's a twist or turn near the end that keeps Retreat from being strictly as predictable as my description might have lead you to believe, but whether that makes the story any better is up for debate. Personally, I found it to be somewhat underwhelming once it was all revealed. 

Retreat does keep you guessing about what to believe, to a certain extent, but I can't say that I "enjoyed" watching the movie. The characters are all flaws and bad decisions, with no real reason to invest in them and hope they survive whatever threat, be it viral or human, that may endanger them. 

The acting is nothing special,  thanks to a pretty pedestrian script that lacks any semblance of nuance. The tragedy that brings the couple to the cottage has no real relevance to the story, which makes it nothing more than pointless backstory. Their history is brought up in careful detail, only to never lead anywhere. Murphy's character is written to be such a weak and passive man that it borders on caricature and Newton's has two emotions, unhappy and afraid (though she still manages to be absolutely beautiful). Jamie Bell goes overboard on the menace and danger, when some ambiguity would have served both the character and story much better. 

This was definitely a flawed experience for me. I didn't dislike the movie, and as I said, it can be quite tense at times, but it just seemed off in several ways. The word "underwhelming" comes to mind.

The journalist Kate (Thandie Newton) and her estranged husband, the architect Martin (Cillian Murphy), rent an isolated house in Fairweather Cottage in the Blackholme Island expecting to rekindle their love and save their marriage after a miscarriage of Kate. The owner, Doug (Jimmy Yuill), brings the couple in his boat and they have only a Citizen Band (CB) radio to communicate with him. Soon they have problem with the generator and Doug helps them, repairing the equipment. When Kate sees a wounded stranger in the island, she calls Martin and they bring him to the house. They note that the man is dressed with military uniform and has a weapon, and Martin hides the gun. The stranger wakes up and tells that he is Private Jack Corman (Jamie Bell) and he is fleeing from a pandemic in the continent. Further, they must isolate the house to protect themselves against the deadly airborne virus. Kate does not buy his story but Martin gives his gun back. Who is Jack? Is he telling the truth?

"Retreat" is a boring and annoying psychological thriller, with a terrible story and unlikable characters. There are many flaws in the plot and stupid reactions and plot points. Thandie Newton's character is irritating and she has histrionic performance. The final plot point with the truth about Jack is kind of absurd. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): Not Available on DVD or Blu-Ray

An above average virus movie, very enjoyable. I am not sure why some people that appear to not enjoy horror or virus/plague movies insist on watching them then complain when they do not like it. That would be like me eating my least favorite food then complaining how the meal sucked. It makes no sense, this movie was great for those that enjoy this type of movie. The acting was good and it keeps you guessing to the very end.

Worth your time to watch. Good acting, very nice location and good plot.

Give it a shot, it is worth it.

One might think this movie was inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, until they notice it was made in 2011. Married couple Kate and Martin find themselves stranded on their island retreat with a man claiming a deadly virus is spreading across the world. Is he telling the truth? That's the mystery presented by this movie. Kate and Martin must decide whether to listen and bunker down with this stranger or try to leave and risk the dangers of a possible pandemic. The frustration with this movie is how dumb Kate and Martin are. They can't seem to do anything right. Is this bad news bearing stranger a dangerous liar? Or is he a survivor trying to get some cooperation out of this helpless couple? Needing the answers to these questions kept me engaged until the end.