The Collector

In concept, this movie is pretty awesome, and at first the movie seems to have the style to match. However, once the movie really starts going it becomes apparent that each trap and related death scenes are designed to be as cringe inducing as possible. Which is all well and good, but it makes it difficult to re-watch. If you found Saw II even slightly disturbing, then this movie is definitely not for you. One particular aspect of the movie that is interesting is the insect theme but, other than a brief moment with a jar of cockroaches, it never really inspires any scenes in the movie. (This is also never really touched on in the sequel either)

If you can sit tight for the first 20 minutes which is a little slow your soon rewarded with a tense on the edge of your seat violent bloody thriller/horror were you find yourself rooting for the better of the villains you would usually hate but end up screaming at the tv in support of. Iv watched this loads of times now and still love this film please watch

Pleasantly surprised since this is a way-above average shocker. Unpleasantly surprised because there's an awful lot of unpleasant surprises!

This had me jumping, open-mouthed, rewinding to check that I'd REALLY just seen what I saw...I don't think I've been as jumpy as this since the tower scene in 'In Bruges'.The editing of the gore scenes was brilliantly done, adding to the tension and the in- your-face, jumping-out-of-the-shadows quality. I'm also surprised that the writers and director were able to keep the ending they did: I thought it would have been preview- screened out of existence.

The film did take a while to get going, but when it hits its stride...phew! Although I'd never seen any of the actors before, the performances were top- notch.

Makes the last SAW films look like a teddy-bear's picnic...apparently, it was written by the writers of the last few SAW movies. They seem to have found their form again.

As the story of the Collector unfolds, it quickly becomes obvious that writer/director Marcus Dunstan is knowledgeable when it comes to the horror genre and knows what makes people click.

First, there is a 70s/80s feel to this movie. From the dirty-ish cinematography to the pacing, editing and the casting choices, a lot of this reminds me of the less polished horror films of these decades.

One of the aspects where this movie shines is with its protagonist Arkin. A down-on-his- luck handyman struggling to pay his bills. Josh Stewart was a revelation for me in this role. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for this actor. Is he a one-note actor who was perfectly cast or is this some serious talent? I for one would lean toward the latter. Stewart is perfect in making us feel Arkin is a decent guy with a will of is own but just suffers from a total lack of respect by the people around him. He oozes charisma despite the "loser" role he has to work with and reminds me a little bit of Sean Penn. What makes the film effective is really exploring the character of Arkin early on. There is a simple situation driving this man to do what he is about to do and we can relate to him.

Unfortunately, the movie begins to lose steam when Arkin gets inside the house. At first, the traps and situations are intriguing. But character and story development halts to a crawl. Who is the collector and what is the meaning of this collection? We don't really know and Dunstan doesn't seem to care in the least. Themes explored throughout the movies? Again, doesn't seem very relevant.

As the story progresses, the traps become the star of the film and the whole thing seems more and more far-fetched. What should be the meat around the bone becomes the entire movie. The concept seems more like the latest horror gimmick. It's a somewhat interesting and entertaining one but one must deplore all the character development of Arkin if the rest of the movie was really just about mindless fun.

All in all, this is a solid movie reminiscent of the trashy, dirty 70s and early 80s horror flicks. But it seems to be lacking in themes and symbolism that made those movies so great and I sensed the writing lost its purpose mid-way. I also deplore what I sense like a desperate attempt to build a franchise, as opposed to make a great movie. The movie seems like a setup for sequels, a TV series pilot more than a single work of art to be enjoyed.

The movie deserves a 5.5 and is relatively well-done. If this review seems harsh, it's just that the first half hour or so lets you think the movie will be much more powerful than it actually ends up being.

Very curious to see if a sequel will be done for this one.

I've been a fool. I tried watching this a few years ago, and couldn't finish it. That inkling to give it another go just wouldn't go away. Well. Guess what? Not only did I watch the whole movie, but I wound up digging it for the most part! The comparisons to the Saw franchise are apt, I suppose. But the Saw series started to become redundant. The Collector is much more than just another cash-in attempt to make some coin. Director Marcus Dunstain clearly had a vision with this one. The killer in this one is not someone that asks questions. Jigsaw was a nasty individual as well, but he had a motive for doing what he was doing, a reason if you will. The Collector (Creepily played by Juan Fernandez) just likes to hurt people. He's gleefully psychotic and kills people in the most sickening ways imaginable for his own demented pleasures. There is no background on this guy, and that makes him all the more terrifying. In some ways that could have worked against it, but I didn't feel it was needed here, and added to the atmosphere. The gore scenes deliver. I won't spoil them, but gore hounds will be replenished for their thirst. My only real carps are I wish the finale went on a tad longer, and that is was hard to make out what was going in a couple scenes because I had trouble seeing. It was a bit too dark. William Prael plays for a very good reluctant hero. His desperation had me rooting for him. I enjoyed him a lot

Final Thoughts: Sometimes a second viewing does wonders. It sure did with the Collector. It's not perfect, but it's a highly suspenseful thrill ride that lacks the budget of a Saw, but is arguably better than a lot of the Saw sequels. Recommended. I'm looking forward to The Collection!

6.5/10