Stragglers

Stragglers has a very professional looking intriguing front cover that immediately drew my attention. Trouble is it has nothing at all to do with the film and a complete lie.

I was aware it was low budget but that's never an issue for me so I gave it a go and swiftly realized this is one of those movies it would be difficult to get through.

Sadly I'm one of those suckers who believes in watching a film all the way through, unless you do so you have no right to judge.

Well I watched, and now I'm going to judge.......hard!

Shoddily made, ridiculous story, cringe inducing acting and one of the worst antagonists in cinema history. You won't have this confirmed until the end but if you can get that far you'll be torn as whether to laugh, cry or dropkick your television.

Truly dire stuff.

After a lengthy and confusing opening with some scientists being menaced by strange sounds in the woods, we're introduced to our main characters. Friends, they've been hired to protect a second pair of scientists returning to the woods to search for the missing first group. The group discover that something in a cave in the woods doesn't want them to leave and is erasing their memories.

Stragglers is an indie, shot-on-video horror film. Production values are low, acting is amateurish (though rarely cringe-inducing) and there are the usual problems with sound: voices being too low to hear, or so loud they overwhelm the mics.

This movie was VERY PAINFUL to watch (literally headache inducing!), because the director/editor chose to insert loud shots of static and television snow every few seconds throughout all flashback scenes. And well over half the film is told in flashback. Imagine watching a movie where every few seconds you lose the picture and a loud burst of static comes from the speakers. Because that's exactly what watching Stragglers is like. Ugh.

I sat through it because I'm an idiot. Don't make the same mistake. Even without the constant static, the movie is mostly storyless and boring. I was hoping for some sort of payoff or worthwhile explanation for what was happening, but the one given is lame and completely unworthy of your time.