The Tall Man

The basic premise of 'The Tall Man' is that some neckbeard is going around abducting children from the town of Cold Rock, a town full of belligerent arseholes. Immediately I thought that this was some generic slasher film but it turned out to be so much more. There are many twists and turns, though sometimes they can be incoherent and it took me a short while to figure out what was actually happening. Don't watch this if you're drunk.

Jessica Biel is the star of the show playing a nurse who I think from what I gathered has lived in the town for a while with her son. Biel is fantastic in this film and I think that she deserves a lot of credit as she really lifts the quality. Without her this film would have been savaged by the critics. It's that type of film. I'd recommend it as Wednesday night entertainment, but the main problem is that it just fades into the background which is unfortunate. In summary, if you have a couple of hours, kick back and enjoy.

This is simply an excellent movie. It portrays a good story that is cleverly presented. I would say it's one of those movies to ponder for some time, and that alone is enough reason to watch it. Obviously I have to say that the score here doesn't do it justice at all, but anyway, it seems that many people have lost the eye for a good story. The acting is great, perhaps the best asset of the film. Jessica Biel stands out with her performance, which is intense and totally committed. Her character is nicely built and the twists of the story will not let you down. This is not a classic horror flick, but it doesn't come short of thrills and cliffhanger moments. I particularly like a story that makes room for imagination, the type of films that don't give you everything on a silver plate, and this is one of those movies. I have watched a previous movie by Lugier, 'Martyrs', which I would recommend to people who are always in for extreme emotions, but most importantly, this director is not out to please, but to tell a good story and leave a mark on the viewers. 100% recommended.

In the decadent Cold Rock, in Pittsville County, USA, children are going missing and the urban legend is that "The Tall Man" is the responsible for the disappearances. The widow nurse Julia Denning (Jessica Biel) lives in an isolated manor with her son David (Jakob Davies) and the housemaid Christine (Eve Harlow). When David is abducted by The Tall Man, Julia grabs on the back of his truck trying to save her son. But The Tall Man hits her and escapes with David.

Lieutenant Dodd (Stephen McHattie), who is investigating the case, find Julia fainted on the road and brings her to a dining. When Julia goes to the toilet, she makes a discovery that will change her life.

"The Tall Man" is a surprisingly great and original drama with many twists. The screenplay surprises the viewers many times along 106 minutes running time and the unusual theme may be unpleasant for many people. But the only problem is the title that misleads the viewers and disappoints those that expect to see a horror movie or a thriller. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Homem das Sombras" ("The Shadow Man")

The Tall Man – CATCH IT (B-) The Tall Man is a very interesting movie about an an isolated, slowly dying mining town, children are vanishing without a trace - abducted, the townsfolk whisper, by a mysterious entity known locally as "The Tall Man." Town nurse Julia Denning (Jessica Biel) seems skeptical...until her young David disappears in the middle of night. Frantic to rescue the boy, Julia lives every parent's darkest nightmare in this twisting, shock-around-each-corner thriller. The First half of the movie is really enjoyable as it's a complete thriller about a town, a woman, missing children and tall man. But once the shocking revelation was made after 50mints the movie becomes more of a social message than a thriller till the end. This doesn't goes in favor of the movie because maybe it's the biggest cover up in the town we still want some chilling running from the evil. Jessica Beil is great and perfect for her role but the twist they have in the movie only works if the woman is as strong as Jessica Beil. On the whole, it's a good thriller in first half and an okay movie in the second part.

I don't understand the negative reviews (rating 1 or 2) - this movie got fine acting, pro production and a fine twist + a thought provoking idea/story.

Best if you watch this one without reading too many reviews - I watched this one without knowing anything about the movie but Jessica Biel was involved and didn't see the end or resolution of the movie coming. Read the synopsis and if it sounds interesting to you - watch.