Found

Based on the novel by Todd Rigney, "FOUND" is a refreshing addition to the horror genre. A familiar yet grim coming of age drama wrapped in a very dark and horrific nightmarish shell. The story is told through the eye's of Marty, a typical twelve year old boy who like most of you reading this can probably relate to, tends to escape the turmoil of his daily life by taking refuge in horror films. From early on in the film we learn that Marty (Gavin Brown) is from an average American family with the usual facade of "normalcy" hiding a plethora of underlying social problems. His fathers overt racism and inability to relate to or get along with his older son. His mothers inability to mediate or intervene in the situation, and his brothers (Ethan Philbeck) worsening antisocial behavior. Marty has discovered personal secrets of his family members. His dad's porn stash, mother's love letters to an old boyfriend and the biggest one yet, a bowling bag containing a severed head in his brothers closet. Marty discovers the brother that he loves and looks up to is a serial killer. "My brother keeps a human head in his closet. Every few days it's a new head", "My life is starting to turn into a horror movie." Let me just say that I found this film intriguing and truly disturbing. Director Scott Schirmer has done a truly amazing job on a shoestring budget of a reported $8000.00 dollars, managing to tell a great story and do what most big budget horror films seem to fail at, making you care about the characters. The only drawback of the film for me was the talent level of some of the supporting cast. While Gavin Brown and Ethan Filbeck gave outstanding performances for their first outing, the mother (Phyllis Munro) and several of the supporting members, most notably the father (Louie Lawless) seemed to lack the ability to convincingly pull off any dramatic moments. But this is a relatively minor complaint and hardly a drawback in the ability to enjoy this film. Other indi film makers and directors should pay attention and take notes. This is how it's done, with an engaging story and a lot of heart. With all that said, I highly recommend this film. In the end I was left almost speechless. This film manages to tell a sympathetic yet engaging horrific story. It is severely brutal and gory at times and not for the faint of heart. Four out of five stars!

"found." is Scott Schirmer's dark caveat to what could arguably be the true meaning of horror starring Gavin Brown, Ethan Philbeck, Phyllis Munro, Louie Lawless and Alex Kogin. The film follows a young boy who's life is abruptly altered when he discovers his older brother is a budding serial killer. The story delves deep into the nuances of family dynamic like nothing I have ever seen before. Marty is a boy transitioning into his own only to have to deal with bullying, loss of familiarity and the complete and utterly disturbing degradation of family stability. "found." is so much more than a horror story, it is a visual ode to a very deep and personal problem lying unmentioned, ignored or unnoticed within our world of paved pathways that guide us along our daily destinations dotted by manicured lawns and cookie-cutter homes. That problem which Schirmer brutally forces us to notice is the complete and utter break down of family cohesion. That one aspect of life that for many of us is an assumed respite, a place of safety and comfort-home, viciously ripped away to expose a darkness that in this film is unequivocally the birth of evil.

The story plays with you completely from the very beginning. It grabs at your emotional center and squeezes slowly but firmly all the while pushing you to the very edge of tense anguish as felt through the eyes and mind of a child. "found" has done something that so few movies are capable of, it made me reevaluate how I define horror. The characters are so modest and honest that you relate to them in a truly gripping way. It exposes the twisted nature of misguided youth forced to face life with very few answers and nearly absent representation. Then simultaneously placing you head first into racism and bullying. But wait, as if that wasn't enough to make this well defined nightmare affective there is an added element that forces you as a viewer to test your limit of what is acceptable horror. It is a question that people have argued for quite some time- are horror films warping young people? This is truly the first time that I have seen that subject matter carefully and poignantly dealt with in the horror industry in such an honest manner while taking you into some of the most sickest and twisted areas of shock/horror cinema.

In my opinion this is truly a masterful tale of terror that carries a deeper message that needs to be addressed, and manages to do so in a fresh and exciting way. It carries all the emotion of surrealistic art film, complete brutality and gore of a horror film in the most systematically harmonious ways imaginable. There is an element of truth that this story pulsates from that creates an atmosphere so haunting and tragic. The film is held together by a chilling soundtrack that allows the story with all it's components to flow seamlessly. Quite frankly I hope more people than just the horror community experiences this film because although the visuals are graphic the heart of the drama is one that needs to be exposed because the true nightmare of this film is the fact that it could very well be happening in your neighborhood or more disturbingly in your very home. I recommend that everyone who comes across this film-watch it! It is just that powerful. A truly terrifying look into the mouth of madness is what you get with "found."

Sometimes you can say it runs in the family ... sometimes it is just one bad sheep that will put a bad name to all. What could be the case here? Is being rebelious the same as being an ice cold killer? Of course not, right? There are more degrees to what consists of being a bad person or a bad parent/sibling and the movie explores a few of them.

Depending on your view on things you may feel different things on the characters displayed. I would argue that you can have empathy for at least the kid. That doesn't mean you will condone his behaviour. There are good arguments to be made and there are certain things said that make sense. This is not the greatest movie, but it does try to be more than just a slasher/horror movie. The low budget nature of it means, you have to forgive a few downfalls in certain areas ... if you do, there is a decent movie here

To make you an idea the Blair witch Project back in 1999 have an estimated budget of $60.000 so think for ten seconds on that.

$8.000 have to be something like 15 minutes of Brad Pitts's salary and this guy made a movie with that ...I was coming to point out the flaws and now that I know this I only can say this guy is a genius;With that money people these days do not make even a short.

Now the sensation that the movie gave me was that it one of those that can surprise you (my case) or offend you.

It is disturbing ,original and macabre and at the same time deals with a lot of dramatic family issues like secrets and the relationship between parents and sons.

The cast and the acting has some point amateurish but it gave it a touch of realism in it own flaw.The faces in the cast are not the cliché pretty boys kind so it adds something more it remind me of HARMONY KORINE type of cast before Selena Gomez and James Franco.

I recommended this movie to the people that want to see a dramatic thriller with real horror and I advice you not to see trailers go and dive in this one whit confident it will not let you indifferent.

Knowing now about the budget for it originality I give it

9 out 10 Thank you well done!

This is a movie that will impress some and offend others much like some of the ground breaking horror classics of the past. Will this be the next classic? I think not, although it could be a springboard for the director as it does pack a wallop. It is very effective and well done with some very good acting, at least from the two leads. I haven't decided if the adult actors are incredibly bad or if they are deliberately staged that way to emphasize the viewpoint of the younger boy who narrates through some of the scenes. I will give the director the benefit of the doubt as it otherwise would be inconsistent with his other great choices. If you can handle the sick material, it is probably a good movie to watch again as you may underrate it. I can only give it a 6 for entertainment value but then maybe I have underrated it.