Open Grave

Trust me on this one. The less you know about this movie the better.

I came across this movie knowing nothing more than the IMDb plot summary. Hence I did not know what to expect. And that is exactly the mindset "Open Grave" will work best for. It is hard to say something about this movie when every statement regarding the story, characters or structure could potentially reveal too much...

"Open Grave" is a smart movie. Its well thought out narrative structure invites you to constantly try to solve the puzzle. This suspense is maintained all the way until the last ~20mins of the movie. The story and heavy atmosphere are supported by the superb acting and skilled cinematography. It is almost impossible to not get immersed in the movie's microcosm. There are also a few good scares and action sequences to ease the pacing and give your brain time to relax.

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Are you still reading? GO WATCH THE MOVIE! ;-)

The synopsis of this film is enough to make you want to watch it. A man wakes up in a pit full of dead bodies. He has no memory of how he got there. After escaping he enters a house full of strangers who are also extremely agitated and just like him they have all lost their memory.

The elephant in the room though is that if they are all alive then who has killed all the people? That is when the fun begins. What I really liked about this film was that it continued to surprise, I got it wrong every time I tried to guess what was coming next and that for me is a real plus.

The cast are a brilliantly disparate group too and they all do an excellent job of keeping you right on the edge of your seat. The pacing is just right; the make up spot on and even the music gets the mood just right. There is not a lot not to like here (sorry about the double negative). It was filmed in Hungary but has a feel of being American despite a cast that is International. If you like your horror's to be a bit on the dystopian side then you should have a look at this.

Engaging from beginning to end with excellent performances from every member of the cast. In a genre so played out, so overblown, and over exposed, this is a refreshing creation that doesn't go into cliché autopilot mode, mock itself, mock you, or mock the industry.

Sure there are one or two bits that are fair game, but overall it doesn't degenerate into some stylized sexist no talent tit and dick prop running around. Instead you have dialogue. I know, amazing concept; making you continually ask who, what, and why like some kind of horror thriller where the protagonist, antagonist, victim and suspect are all the same person, but at the same time they aren't. Exactly.

Great atmosphere through out with solid sound work, unfortunately the ending doesn't do the rest of the film any justice, but it's rare that any endings in these kinds of film do so -3 points. Highly recommended.

Film quality was average and the scenes set up well. The acting starts a bit rough and ends up a bit above mediocre. Story was somewhat original, but was not presented very well. There were many unnecessary plot points and interactions that made it a bit frustrating to watch, as they didn't provide any substantial information until the end. The plot points that were necessary were explain haphazardly and were convoluted. The setup and trailer makes this seem like a SAW movie, but its quite far from it.

It's a decent film, just don't go into it with any expectations. If you can help it, the least you know about it, the better as the trailer for example will give a bit too much away.

I stumbled upon this film knowing absolutely nothing about it, and I think that's exactly the right way - perhaps the only way - to approach this bleak, suspenseful tale. So I won't spoil anything for you and concentrate instead on my impressions from the film. Firstly: great production values; set and sound design can compete with anything you normally see in big Hollywood productions. Secondly: fantastic actors, and if you're into dark, disturbing films, great story. I don't understand how a gem like this - which was obviously very well made - could fly under the radar and miss a wide theatrical release; a film of this caliber and with such a great cast should be seen in the theater. The current rather low IMDb rating bugs me and I think it will go up as soon as more people have seen the film. I'd highly recommend this film to anyone who likes a well told gritty story - I rate it a solid 7 out of 10.

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Fun B-flicks/low budget films: http://www.imdb.com/list/YV1Lxq7WLkU/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

In an ideal world, movies would be made without the aim for a certain rating. This article sums up why this is so important:

www.the-fanboy-perspective.com/the-importance-of-the-r-rating.html