Hunted

This is what you need to know about this movie, besides the fact that I recommend it as solid thriller: Kim Basinger, suburban mother of 2, lives with abusive husband. On Xmas she decides to go buy some stuff at the mall and while she's out, a series of bad things happen - getting her into serious trouble.

I wouldn't read more before watching the movie. Not because there are any great twists, but because it's worth watching without any, even minor, spoilers. It's also filled with irony - sometimes it reminded me of Predator and Home Alone - being a horror movie only in the sense of the cat-and-mouse game hunt.

In a role that's surprisingly physical, Kim Basinger does a good job as the protagonist. I can't help but remember what Kim went through with her marriage problems and all, and somehow connect this movie as a catharsis of sorts for her.

"While She Was Out" might not be very well-known, but it should, in my opinion. It's a refreshing take on a genre that's been tirelessly explored, and most important of all, fun.

6/10

Saw this film with my friend when it came on DVD and i liked it, i cared about the characters and the movie kept me interested till the end. The acting was not the best, but still not that bad as every reviewer says.

If your looking for a movie like The Dark Knight, your at the wrong place. But if you are searching for a entertaining thriller, meet "While She was out"

Still, everyone have different tastes on movies, and you shouldn't listen to any reviewers, not even me. Go and rent the movie (or download it :S) and see for yourself.

Six popcorn's out of Ten

Oh my god. the idea that this movie is a thriller is an absolute joke to me. besides the point that it seems to be written by a 5 year old. the plot, the acting and even the props and filming of this movie were all beyond disgrace.

I am not usually this critical about any movie, cause every person has his/her style. But this movie, however, was probably the worst movie i have seen in 2008. I can honestly believe that this movie is unknown, and i think it should stay like this, for movies like these are making the thriller genre a joke.

I advise anyone that is a fan of thriller movies, or even simply movies to stay far away from this one.

Despite the first act being trope after trope for the setup, I really enjoy this one. Personally I think going to a mall on Christmas Eve is horror enough on its own, but this is one of those situations that could happen to anyone. And make no mistake, guys like the antagonists in this movie, bored punks trying to prove how hard they can be or just getting off on harassing women, are literally everywhere, so the situation is highly believable and frankly, terrifying. But what I really like about this one, without blatant spoilers/details, is Della's (Basinger) character growth throughout. She goes from terrified victim of spousal abuse, just trying to put on a brave face for her children and fake it in front of friends, to this horrible situation where she is once again put into the role of victim, now fighting for her life and to get back to her children. As the film goes on we see her go from victim on the run to being forced to defend herself, unwilling to be a victim any longer. It cathartic. As for the details of the events throughout, yes, it sometimes feels a bit over the top and full of tropes and clichés, but guess what, it's a horror thriller, not a documentary.

To be sure there's nothing particularly original in this. It's a fairly standard chase movie as a woman is chased through the night by a gang of thugs out to kill her in revenge for her having left a nasty note on their car when they double parked in a busy parking lot on Christmas Eve. So, yeah, it's a variation on a pretty standard theme. There are no real "surprises." You know the woman is going to survive somehow, and in all honesty I thought there was a fair bit of tension and suspense through the whole thing. It's a bit unbelievable, sure - but that's the nature of this kind of movie. Unoriginal, yeah - but anyone who reads the description of the movie going in has to know it's going to be unoriginal so don't watch it if you want something brand spanking new. I liked the basic story from the point at which Della began to be pursued to the point at which she escaped. I thought it was well done.

The movie was helped by having a better than usual lead. Kim Basinger played Della and did well with the part. So many of these movies feature a complete cast that you've never seen before and that you'll never see again that it's kind of nice to see a familiar face. Ironically, perhaps the weakest part of the movie was also Della, though - not Basinger's performance but the character's background. From the opening scenes of the movie Della is portrayed as a victim of an abusive husband, apparently trapped in this unhappy marriage. That really served little purpose and had few connecting points to the remainder of the movie except to allow for a "shocker" in the very last scene, which, again, wasn't necessary to the story.

Go into this with your eyes wide open. If you like this type of movie then this is certainly on par with (and maybe even a bit better than) most "chase" movies you'll come across. But if you're looking for originality, forget it. It all depends what you're expecting from it. Personally, I rather liked it. (7/10)