The Rizen

I really like the concept. If I simply read the synopsis, I would assume this would be a film that I'd love. Unfortunately there's a lot to drag it down.

Firstly, the quality is that of a 2000s Dr Who three part special rather than a feature film. There's a lot of stale acting and the set is awful. They're supposed to be in a bunker/concrete tunnels which you'd think would be easy to create, but the walls look like am-dram stage backing and you can clearly see black and white paint splashed over them to approximate concrete.

Secondly, the monsters seem to be no threat. Even the scientist who is shown to not be a fighter can restrain one easily. They seem to just want to grapple a bit with the characters. There's one point where the main character is being choked by one, and she very casually turns around to receive a weapon from someone else. This seems really minor, but it's just so weirdly unthreatening.

Thirdly, they do the 'oh btw these two are romantically attracted to eachother' in one scene where two of the characters almost kiss. There's nothing before this to suggest they're into each other. I don't know why they put these in films.

Anyway, some good points - I really like the cosmic horror element. The contained story is quite nice too. The ending, while a little unclear, is enjoyable enough. It's just a little boring in between.

GOOD concept, and some of the acting could actually have worked together to make this a good movie, but in the end it didn't hold up.

A low budget picture REALLY needs to worry about setting up the scenes correctly and here there were issues ... at least in my opinion. The use of 'the dark' is something that can be over used; this movie is case-in-point. I would like to say the scenes were more artsy than meaningful (which fails most time), but it could have been just lack of experience doing good directing.

In the end, this was disappointing. It's worth the time watching 'in the background' ... if you have something else to do ... but this is not something I would suggest making an effort. Sorry to all involved, but such potential only lives up to the potential if the execution is there.

I don't really know where the line is drawn and things become "indie" but i imagine this is lower budget. Acting was great, writing was creative. I wasn't keen on the choice for the old school looking filter on the camera shots, but whatever. Fun "indie" find. In the realm of, but much better than what used to be called "Straight to VHS".

I rented this one off iTunes. It was Horror and something else...and it's October/Halloween. And I'm tired of Vampires, Zombie Apocalypsi and Evil Nuns.

And this one smelled...different.

Now a couple of the other reviewers have touched on the almost cheesy set-up and cheesier dialogue. Plus when you see the zombie creatures in the movie preview it's not like it's gonna be a surprise. And the zombie things appear pretty soon, so you might sit back and say "Oh Please! what's the point of watching the next Hour and fifteen minutes?"

To that I would say...The movie is Not really about the zombie things. They are just a symptom. You have to connect the dots...

But first you have to be willing to sit thru this Movie to be bothered to connect the dots. That's it's First Flaw. And it's a Bad one, which is why I gave it a 6/10.

It will drive away the casual Horror/Splatter fan just because it will bore them. It's repetitive.

It will drive away the curious viewer because they won't see any way to make sense of anything of Who the characters are or Why they are there in the first place. And again, the beginning will bore them. It's repetitive.

I stopped watching halfway through because of the monotony and went to sleep...but I didn't delete it. Something...missing...drew me back to it the next night and I resumed watching.

In the end, what pulled me in was the underlying Lovecraftian feel. And because I've read Lovecraftian horror, I was pulled into pulling the clues together: the flashbacks, the time shifts and the disconnected dialogue pieces make sense if you've read Lovecraftian Horror. Even the repetitive parts had minuscule clues in the dialogue that I started catching. But if you never have read any Lovecraft...it's all disconnected nonsense.

That's this movie's second deep flaw. I suspect the other reviewers who gave it somewhat positive reviews have basically READ Lovecraft or similar writers. Because this movie only worked for me because I was filling in the details and images mentally as if I was reading a book.

And then the Ending drove it home.

If you've never read Lovecraftian Horror...it will just be a cheesy, repetitive mishmash that's not even all that great in the cinematography category.

But if you've read Lovecraft...give this one a try. You will likely find it...interesting. But it's definitely NOT a Saturday Night Main event.

Last-- some reviewers have opined at a possible, though highly unlikely, sequel. Here, I completely disagree.

There is NO good ending, No rescue, and No Second Chances in Lovecraft's Universe. The Ending will fit.

Before I start this a couple of caveats.

Not the highest budget film recently. So keep expectations lowish. Dialogue- Oh dear. Beyond cheesy into incompetence territory But still- I liked it. Why?

Atmosphere. With what appears to be a budget based on a 12 year olds pocket money, dialogue that at times just seems like random words put together and the principal actors obviously hamming it up in parts - it kinda works.

Okay theres no Oscar nomination in the offing, but with a set that seems to consist of 1 room and 1 corridor, plus a couple of outside shots in the wood nearest the production companies HQ...it still pulls off suspension of disbelief.

Manages to convey a kind of Hellraiser/Cuthlu mythos sort of vibe despite its shortcomings. Then it pulls off the ultimate movie trick of setting you up for a sequel but still giving enough closure where you can accept the ending as is.

Dont get me wrong, its no classic. But worth your time from the very conscious uber violent creature kill scenes to the OTT ending.

AND its got Aid .Edmondson