Dear Readers,
to make it short and plain for the ones in a hurry: 'Beware!'
This is probably one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I never waited for an end of a movie so much, that's why it was a happy end at least for me, when it was finally over.
I am quite convinced that nobody with only a little bit of an artistic approach or a soft spot for a good story or nice pictures or a solid camera or anything is able to like this movie at all. None of that was in the movie.
The direction was totally miserable, the acting much worse and even the camera work was just appearing semi-artistic to me. The storyline was supposed to be a 'nightmare', and it really turned out to be one, but not as intended by the tended viewer. I found it to be boring and uninspired, there was no red-line visible due to weird and unconnected turns of the story and also a lot of dead end plots.
Since the story and characters did not work out, there was not even a little bit of tension noticeable. What was e.g. all that talking about all these weird symbols at the site of crime about? Why was (it in) the movie at all? Just to give this silly, intransparent and unnecessary hint to the murderer? How dull can it get?
It really looks like somebody has been trying to take 'all the cool content' from other movies, but surprise, it did not fit together and nobody wanted to play it with a 'soul'.
Allison Eastwood in fact was acting so badly, that every little bit of atmosphere was immediately destroyed with the first word of hers. She was not into her character at all, trying play that tough woman. Is Clints daughter supposed to be like that? If so, it certainly did not work out at all. She would be good as a newsreader though, keeping her voice that neutral and unemotional. Sorry Allison, no movie with you again. Even John Rhys-Davies was surprisingly bad, but with a set of so boring and flat characters, even good actors are only able to fail.
I am willingly to forgive that the movie was totally unrealistic, since I personally don't expect that necessarily from a Hollywood making. But at least good cinematic handicraft and some passion of the actors I would have expected, besides that uninteresting story.
Stay away from this movie, it is a waste of money and a shame in my eyes. You will watch your clock more than the movie, in the hope that it will run faster so you can do something nice instead. It was a total waste of time for me.
