Aviso de Tempestade

Loved this movie. Was not sure what to expect, but after reading some of the reviews decided to watch it. I love a good thriller, and this one did not disappoint, in fact it was better than I expected. The suspense was very good, and in fact stopped the movie a couple of times because I needed to take a breath. Scenery was very good, acting was good, and plot was good.

If I had to have any negative things to say it would be that I found it difficult at times to understand what they were saying. They do speak English but being an American it at times was hard and had to rewind it to figure out what was said/meant.

This is a very effective low budget offering from the Southern hemisphere.

The plot is pretty simple, revolving around a yuppie couple who stumble upon a backwoods family who take them prisoner. What elevates this film above similar tales is the sheer sense of menace and relentless vulnerability that is created, and also the sheer energy and inventiveness with which the captors are depicted.

Personally, I felt very uncomfortable throughout and I empathised with the couple who had somehow got themselves into so much trouble. The woman, who to make matters worse is French, is under constant threat of rape. I felt particularly sorry for her lawyer boyfriend who is helplessly out of his depth and fully aware that he is unable to defend her.

However, she is made of pretty stern stuff and when her boyfriend is incapacitated by the savage yokels they have encountered she takes matters into her own hands and begins the fight back.

This protracted turning of the tables takes up the final third of the film and is handled with great energy and and enthusiasm. Some old-school booby traps are employed against one of the villains whilst she has another trick up her, ahem, sleeve which really has to be seen to be believed.

Without giving too much away, I found the eventual structure of this film quite fascinating and original, but for the casual viewer alike this film really delivers. There is plenty of atmosphere, humour, set-piece carnage and thrills for everyone and the hyped up soundtrack keeps things moving along nicely.

I've been watching a lot of these type of horror movies recently - Wrong Turn 2, Hostel 2, Timber Falls etc. All of them feature normal people who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, and usually end up with some - if not all - of their limbs missing. It's been a popular horror genre since the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out and so it's difficult to take the premise and make it original. Is "Storm Warning" original? Not really. Is it a good movie? Yes!

"Storm Warning" begins slowly with our two main characters out fishing on their boat. They soon become lost on their way home and end up on a small island as rain clouds fill the sky above. Once they discover a seemingly abandoned house and the storm arrives, all hell then breaks loose. Despite being directed by the same man behind such awful movies as "Valentine", it's one of the better horror movies I've seen recently (and shows that director Jamie Blanks works best when he doesn't have to worry about pleasing the censors).

"Storm Warning" manages to combine elements from movies such as "Deliverance" and "Straw Dogs" to create something that is scary, gory and even funny at times. The three actors who portray the deranged antagonists are all superb and are suitably menacing. You never know quite what they're going to do next - and it's that tension that keeps you watching.

It's Nadia Fares who really sells this movie though. Her character's transition throughout "Storm Warning" is totally believable and the way in which her character eventually fights back leads to some brilliant scenes that will both surprise and entertain you. There were at least two occasions where I even found myself thinking "Oh my god! Did that really happen?"

Yes, it's not original but it's unsettling, well-acted, nicely written, very gory in places and ultimately fun. What more can you ask for from a horror movie?

A triumphant 8 out of 10.

I must say that I really thought I was going to be disappointed with this movie but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot itself was pretty standard - innocent people stumble across a hilly-billy house and trouble follows. Familiar plot aside, I have to admit that this was a great survival flick and once it got started, the gore was never-ending. The death scenes are pretty realistic and creative. I cringed and I don't often do that. Once the real fighting starts, I couldn't help but to root for the victims and almost feel sorry for the bad guys. It is savage and unrelenting. The acting was pretty decent by all involved and the mood was always dark and sadistic. I could watch this over and over! Definitely worth a watch and although it is not on the same level as movies like Wrong Turn and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, if you enjoyed those films, this movie should definitely satisfy your hunger for horror!

The lawyer Rob (Robert Taylor) and his French wife Pia (Nadia Farès) rent a small motor boat to spend the day fishing at the sea. In the end of the day, Rob decides to steer the boat through marsh islands but they become lost and stranded while a storm is coming.

Rob decides to walk with Pia to find a shelter and they reach a dilapidated house with no one home. Rob also finds a decrepit greenhouse with a plantation of marijuana. Out of the blue, three rednecks arrive in the place and the abusive and deranged brothers Jimmy (David Lyons) and Brett (Mathew Wilkinson) point shotguns to them and torture Rob and Pia while their father "Poppy" (John Brumpton) goes to his room to rest. The couple soon realizes that Pia will be raped by the sadistic and they will be killed after and they decide to fight back.

"Storm Warning" is a brutal and gore slasher with an unoriginal storyline that surprisingly works well, supported by great direction and performances and excellent cinematography, special effects and camera work. The decision of Pia, when she learns that she will be raped by the rednecks, is the best moment of this highly recommended film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Aviso de Tempestade" ("Storm Warning")