The Carrier

The idea had potential, but I think it just missed for me. The pandemic has taught us that people WOULD in fact be idiots, and try and jump on a plane despite the risk to others. So the very idea of this film is a solid one.

The problem is the characters were bland and one dimensional, and I don't feel the film had any real focus, or real ending. Like there were some very good ideas going on, but they needed developing more, and the film needed more focus on deciding what it wanted to be. It started off very reasonable, but then just went flat.

The other issue I had is the acting was a little all over the place. Some points seemed overacted, where as other actors felt flat/stiff. I wish the film had more going for it, because the concept is a good one.

The movie seemed to have everything going for it at the start and it starts well but somewhere down the road the director and the people in charge just forgot why they were making the movie and got trapped in each others ideas.

Why am I saying this - 1. The movie starts off with a pandemic which is not curable - fair topic 2. People want to escape the country before quarantine laws are enforced - fair point too 3. Heard and headed for a Shangri la - fair point

Despite the above, the movie without any pressure about the virus/infection turns into a more than decent human interest movie and should have continued down that road. Tons of emotional trauma and baggage would have made this an above average movie but the ideas start to spin and the mess unravels with more muck than one can digest.

The story should have been about the survivors but....

The movie does not show anything about the infection either.

Go ponder and leave this thing alone.

This sounded mildly intriguing so we gave it a whirl. How I wish we hadn't. It started off OK, but quickly revealed itself as a very cheaply-made straight-to-video formula horror/thriller. It looked as though it may have been a pilot for a TV serial that never got made (can't think why). Most of the characters are either useless and unreliable or just plain psychos, like 'Eric' who goes around wrecking the group's chances of survival. According to the end credits, it was filmed 'around the back of B&Q in Basildon' or something like that. Avoid.

Not a great movie by any stretch, but merely a somewhat good movie. My wife got this having no idea of the ratings, and I had read about it, expecting some utter crap movie. Honestly is is quite watchable, a bit low budget, but not nearly a bad movie. It is somewhat suspenseful and was a really good rainy weekend movie!

I think some of the really bad reviews are not real. A solid 5.5-6 movie. Acting is okay, effects a bit mediocre, but the music, filming and story are all fairly decent. The movie really got interesting after they got out of the sky and onto the ground! I wanted to lend a real view of this movie. So to sum up,a DECENT rental, you would do far worse. It is English made, and features and English cast, so those that are unable to watch anything that is not USA made or Big budget, just pass it by. For the rest, that want a good movie, give it a try!

Was drawn into seeing 'The Carrier', with a cool poster/cover, a promising trailer, an intriguing premise and as someone with a general appreciation for the genre it fits under. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive.

It is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws present in those films are here, that to me was incredibly disappointing considering its potential which it doesn't do anywhere near enough with. 'The Carrier' is weak with not much point to it, with so many huge flaws and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There is very little to recommend in 'The Carrier'.

Lets start with the positives. Some of the acting is okay considering what was given to them. The production values had atmosphere and didn't look too cheap.

'The Carrier' also starts off reasonably promisingly, it does intrigue and it does have creepiness.

Going on to the negatives, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it comes over as vague and under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less unsettled and never gaining momentum. All the characters are too sketchy and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their annoying and illogical decision making and behaviours frustrates. The chemistry lacks character or punch.

Making the film feel bland and forgettable with not enough heart put into it. The sound quality is obvious and utilised cheaply (being too loud in the build ups and people's reactions) and some of the acting seemed unsure. The effects can be ropy.

Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace and film lacks tightness after such an intriguing start and doesn't recover. Found too many of the supposedly shocking moments not surprising and very bland and the atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness, a lot of idiotic and vague moments and explanations and the lack of tension and suspense. Thrills are none, thanks to stodginess and excessive over-familiarity, and found myself never invested in the drama, which tended to be overacted and statically directed.

A lot of 'The Carrier' has underdeveloped plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations, while too many of the things to make you shocked are far from creative or unsettling.

Everything is unimaginative and are more odd than scary, completely failing to show any sense of dread. The thriller elements fail to thrill and are very predictable and the drama is overwrought. Some badly sagging momentum too and a lot of weirdness. The direction is leaden, got the sense their heart was not in it.

Overall, weak but not without redeeming merits. 3/10 Bethany Cox