I have a soft spot in my heart for freshman or sophomore films made on a micro budget. I know the cast sometimes doubles as the crew and I know that the money invested in making the movie is nothing compared to the blood, sweat and tears of the people who made it.
With that said, it's really hard to make a thriller without knowing what thrills the audience. If the premise is that an obviously depressed women decides to run through the wilderness, the audience needs to see what is scary about the wilderness. Although we hear where they are discussed, we have no context as to where it is. Are they in a National Park or in someone's back yard? Why are the trails empty? A spot of exposition or more overhead drones of green would have helped. There's so much context lost by not knowing why the heroine should be guarded,
Second, Celeste Cooper does an admirable job of SHOWING not TELLING that she is troubled and grieving. She is restrained, intense and quiet in her pain. She understands what her character is telling us, and really doesn't need the injury trope for us to know she is troubled. She gives a hell of a performance.
So too does Michael B. Woods, the mopey eyed criminal who is over his head and knows it. His part should have been bigger, and it would have fit with the story better had he had a chance at redemption.
Last, I would like to see more movies by the people who made this one. I think they did a good job in spite of the limitations, and I think the hate here is unjustified.
Yes, I would gladly be a free script doctor for their next project. I like their enthusiasm.
