Residue

My wife and I watch a ton of horror films and this one stood out as cool and unique.

It's less "horror" than just plain weird Lovecraftian craziness. Maybe not for everyone, but we appreciated that they were doing something different. It combines a compelling deadbeat Dad making good with his-daughter relationship with lots of bizarre happenings.

Plus, it's got Matt Frewer (from Max Headroom). Can't beat that. If you liked Max Headroom, you'll probably like this - it's got a similar unique flair.

Okay, as the reviews show here, this movie is most definitely NOT for everyone. It is as confusing as hell and doesn't really fully explain anything. And, I mean ANYTHING! But, WOW! What a mindtrip, seriously... There are movies that TRY to be clever or Artsy or Surreal, but as bloody Out There as this one is, you can tell that the people behind it are very, very sharp.

IF you are going to set out to make a movie to turn someone's mind into a pretzel, let me tell you, THIS is precisely the way to do it. There is even some very, VERY dry, dark humour sprinkled throughout. Seriously, these people are very clever and have really set out to make a truly ambitious film.

The acting is superb, unlike what another reviewer said here. I would F'n SWEAR that lead guy is Ryan Reynolds, he looks a lot like him and his super low-key, dry manner is exactly like him. I had to keep asking myself, 'Is this Ryan Reynolds?' What you also have is a collection of really fascinating characters, very strange, funny, and extremely offbeat, which I feel makes the movie even more entertaining.

What you basically have here is a Godzilla sized Mystery with a big, capital 'M' I mean, even at the end you still don't quite know what the hell just happened. But in this case, we're not talking about simply vague, 'Trying to be mysterious' here. We're talking about a very clever, very well thought out story with extreme attention to detail. There is absolutely nothing sloppy about this film whatsoever. It is very sharply edited and photographed to convey the story in what I feel is a very effective way.

Again, this movie is NOT for everyone. If you don't like extremely non-linear super offbeat films and you prefer your Horror or really any Genre to tell a more clear, straight forward story, this movie is NOT for you. BUT... if you totally like films that every 10 minutes truly make you go, 'WTF!!??' like I do, this will be one that you will remember for a very, very long time. I know it has a moderately low rating here, and truthfully I'm not that surprised. But, I'm telling you... if this is the kind of really Out There movie that you like, you will be totally grabbed by the privates and hold you in its iron grip for the entire length of the film. That is why I gave this one a very rare '8', and I totally feel it deserves it.

Residue is a film I first heard of when I saw the film Candiland, which has the same writer and director, Rusy Nixon. Candiland was one of the most bizarre films I have ever seen. It definitely had its ups and downs but I really enjoyed the overall product. After seeing Candiland, I was interested in seeing what Rusty Nixon would do next which happened to be this.

The first half an hour of Residue is perfect. It intrigued me and I loved the mystery noir style mixed with horror. What also stunned me was how good this movie looks. It looks way better for a low budget movie than it has any justification too. Not only that but maybe about fifteen minutes in, there is a fight sequence that is helmed amazingly. I could tell everything that was going on and it looked 100 percent convincing. Also, the early scenes with Mr. Fairweather played by Matt Frewer were super entertaining to watch. If the whole movie had been this good, it would be one of my favorite movies.

Frankly, the movie does have some series issues which stop it from reaching its full potential. James Clayton plays the lead character named Luke Harding. He was clearly shooting for the cool going detective but at times it just doesn't work. In some scenes, he came off awkwardly robotic. He wasn't necessarily bad but I feel he missed the mark. Also, one of the main plot points between Luke Harding and his daughter just didn't feel played up as well as it should have. The climax hinges on the plot point so it just doesn't have the impact it should. Also, I feel like the climax just doesn't get enough time to breathe which takes away some more of the effect it could have had.

Apart from the first half an hour, however, there is still a lot to love. Jacob (Costas Mandylor and Boston (Michael Matic) have several scenes where they are keeping an eye on Luke Harding. There is a lot of comedic relief and dark humour here which is highly enjoyable.

This film is flawed but I think it could find a cult following. It's not for everyone and plenty will dislike. It's also a bit confusing and hard to follow but I appreciate films like that sometimes because it allows you to think. Despite its issues, I still really like this movie and it's originality and style make it memorable. I would recommend this film for anyone who wants to see something different and likes films that are out there. A lot is unanswered in this film but I heard there may be a sequel called The Pain Doctors. Support this low budget film. Just remember that it isn't for everyone.

This film had a bunch of elements of 80's Carpenter and Cronenburg, and it included Max Headroom and The Smoking Man from X-Files. The lore is pretty solid, the practical FX are a very welcome throwback and look great. I loved watching this film, was one of the more original I've seen in the genre as of late.

I didn't know what I was getting into here when I sat down to watch the 2017 movie "Residue" from writer and director Rusty Nixon. All I knew about the movie was that it had an interesting enough cover that had caught my attention.

Let me say that this movie is odd. Good odd or bad odd? Well, that is definitely up to the individual viewer. There is something of a "Naked Lunch" feel to the movie, so that should give you an indication of what you are getting yourself into when you watch this movie.

While the movie was watchable, I found it to be a bit too weird. I like strange movies, sure, but when it comes to the point where it starts to make little sense, then I am off the bandwagon.

"Residue" definitely benefits from having a group of nice actors and actresses on the cast list, which includes the likes of James Clayton, Matt Frewer and Costas Mandylor. I must admit that I was rather thrilled when Matt Frewer showed up on the screen, because he is just wonderful and he played nicely in this movie as well.

I am rating "Residue" five out ten stars. While the movie started out nicely, the bizarre storyline just lost me along the way, and I sort of just gave up towards the end with about 20 minutes left of the movie.