Barricade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekXNWWlp3N0 Shocktober continues:Well it is nice to see a WWE film that doesn't involve wrestlers.That being said, now the movie.The acting was very good, especially the kids.Scenery when you got to see it was also great, but the majority of the movie was isolated to the house.That being said the plot and story itself was not very well done.There were so many ways this could've been a good film and it just fell flat.I was hoping they could utilize the high points that flashbacks were alluding to throughout the movie and it just never happened.For a rental it is fine but beyond that I wouldn't much bother. 4.6/10 IMDb 4.7. Bonus for my readers http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1627915033/

"Barricade" is a well produced, atmospheric chiller with excellent acting, human characters, good cinematography, some creepy Kubrickian moments, a great location and an engaging premise. The only thing I didn't like was the plot reveal which felt like a major letdown after all the above.

But who knows, you might like it. Or at least, you might have a good time waiting to see if it's really as bad as everyone says. Note: that's the last I'll say about the ending because I don't want to ruin it (unlike the current top 2 reviews which spoil it in the first sentence. Seriously? How is spoiling a movie helpful?).

This is the first time I've seen Eric McCormick who plays the father, and I thought he was fantastic. He bears a striking resemblance, as well as a similar likable quality, to Sam Rockwell, and in fact I kept thinking maybe it was his twin brother or something. If you like Sam Rockwell flicks (like "Moon") you'll enjoy McCormick's delivery. He plays a good lead here: a father of 2 young kids forced to protect them from creepy happenings in a remote corner of the world. Despite losing his grip of reality as events unfold, he remains more or less smart and resourceful.

The two kids were excellent as well, and their fear added to the mood without being melodramatic as young actors sometimes are (I'm thinking mainly of my own attempts at making "horror movies" when I was 12, you don't want to know).

The atmosphere is very chilly, figuratively as well as literally. Filmed over the course of 4 days in the snowy wilderness near Vancouver, the filmmakers did an excellent job of conveying a claustrophobic feeling of terror despite being in the wide open north.

Really, this is a very well made movie except for the actual story driving it. Oh, there's one other thing I didn't care for: all the false scares in the first half hour. Some were effective, and I actually jumped once, but after being tricked a few too many times I started disconnecting from the action.

"Barricade" is one of those creepy films where you don't know what the threat is until the end, and this puts it in line with some excellent films like "The Others", "The Changeling", "Moscow Zero", or the mack daddy of twist endings, "The Sixth Sense". But in this case the story didn't have a corkscrew twist so much as it had a itty bitty bend.

I almost did not watch this because of the terrible reviews here. But that's a good thing now, because I went into the movie thinking it was going to be awful when I was pleasantly surprised.

The acting was great, the unknown kids did a great job. The plot was good and original. I am a HUGE horror fan and have never seen a movie like this (and I have watched a TON of horror moves).

I was shocked that this was PG-13. This movie scared the crap out of me, and I am a 37 year old male. I must have jumped no less than 10 times and screamed at the screen several times (about the same amount as when I watched Insidious). However, I do scare easily, but that is why I LOVE horror movies. When going to bed that night I was looking behind doors, turning on lights, etc...

So if you are like me and go into this movie excepting it to be a HUGE let down, you might be pleasantly surprised like I was. In conclusion, sit back and enjoy it for what it is, and what it is is a great horror movie with a lot of scares, good acting, and a good story!

Nothing too great about this movie but it uses its low budget creatively and besides is a well made and good looking movie.

It's absolutely, most definitely, a far more professional looking movie than the average low budget genre attempt. The directing, the editing, the cinematography, it's simply all good, making this a perfectly watchable genre flick.

The movie does a good job at handling its mystery and tension. It's being a real effective movie in that regard and the movie constantly keeps throwing you off. Is it being a horror flick, is it all taking place inside the head of main character? The movie implies lots of different things throughout, making you feel unsure what is exactly going on with the story. It really keeps things interesting and helps to keep things going, even when there really isn't an awful lot happening.

This movie often just implies things, without ever truly showing you anything. This is what being creative with a low budget is all about, as opposed for instance other genre movies with a low budget, that show far too much or try to do too much with its restrained budget, with as a result things just look plain bad and work out more often ridicules or laughable. I really do believe that is the main reason why the movie in fact works out.

You could complain that the movie is too dark looking, which is true but again, I also see this in this case as using its low budget creatively. It besides does help to establish a certain type of atmosphere for the movie, which is the right type of atmosphere required for an horror.

It's also certainly true that the movie does sort of fall apart toward it's end but really, it's not any worse than often is being the case with any other random genre attempt. Let me just say that it didn't ruined the experience for me, which perhaps was also because I could see the end coming from miles away, as should any other horror lover. So it's not surprising but still the movie does a good job at handling things and simply does what it does well enough.

Nothing too brilliant obviously but the movie as it is remains a perfectly watchable one.

6/10

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Terrance Shade (Eric McCormack) is in love with his wife Leah (Jody Thompson) that invites him to go with their children Cynthia (Conner Dwelly) and Jake (Ryan Grantham) to an isolated cabin where she used to go when she was a child. One year later, Leah is dead and Terrence travels with his children to spend Christmas in the cabin. They meet Sheriff Howes (Donnelly Rhodes) that gives the keys to him and they find the cabin well prepared with supplies. But soon, the family is haunted by supernatural events and Terrance entwines daydreams with reality. What is happening in the house?

"Barricade" is a film with a reasonable storyline inspired in "The Shining". However, the terrible screenplay is confused and is not clear about what is reality or insanity, despite the good performances. If the viewer enjoys happy ends, he may believe that the children are saved by their father and rescued in the end. But it is more credible that they died due to the insanity of their father. However the writer seems to be lost and there is no clue for any interpretation. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Barricada" ("Barricade")