The Fields

I don't know that I'd call it a horror movie per se, but it still creeped me out in ways I didn't expect. The acting was spot on, with totally believable characters (Cloris Leachman in particular was a stand out) and something about the rural farmhouse setting, the abandoned cornfield that is to be avoided at all costs, the town that is little more than a ghost town complete with Manson Family-esque squatters living in buses and abandoned buildings, all combined to give the movie an unnerving feel of isolation. Ordinary everyday scenes become twisted without you even being aware why you have the feeling that things were somehow "off." If you're looking for a classic horror movie, you might be somewhat bored during parts of this movie, but for a psychological movie that screws with your mind, it was superb, and the fact that it was based on a true story adds to the creepy vibe. Give it a chance; I recommend it 100%.

When I bought UK DVD of 'The Fields' I had some expectations, not much but some(plus 3d cover is great I have to give them that!). It's being promoted as a horror movie although some websites claim It's more of a psychological trailer. Well It's not much of a thriller in my book and certainly there is no horror at all. I should know better that Cloris Leachman would not participate in a horror movie about haunted cornfield but hey I gave it a try. 'The Fields' turned out to be one of the most boring movies ever made. And I have seen a lot of boring movies where nothing happens but this flick beats it all. Acting is obviously solid with Miss Leachman as Grandma and Tara Reid as mother(but she only appears in the beginning and ending of the movie). There is no thrills, suspense, gore or anything like that. The only thing they do in the whole movie is talk. Talk, talk, talk, sometimes they shout and that's it. I also have to say that the kid playing the lead is extremely annoying. I don't see any reason to give it more than 1. It's obviously bigger budget movie with good technical aspects(although editing is crappy many times) in it but It doesn't matter when the movie is so boring, characters one dimensional and nothing, absolutely NOTHING happens during the whole movie. Watch it on your own risk if you are looking for a long nap, because the only thing this movie actually delivers is sleep.

A long and winding road leading nowhere, The Fields is a mish-mash of disconnected set pieces with no real plot. While the desaturated cinematography and moody design set a general tone of gloom, and much of the acting is solid, The Fields focuses on fragmented back story, rather than a beginning, a middle, and an end. There's no connection between Steven's parents' domestic disputes and Steven's meanderings around the farm. So why did the producers even follow that storyline? Of course, one could ask the same question about any aspect of this "mystery," and ultimately, about The Fields itself. 5 points for competence, but -2 for making me waste my time.

What appears to be the dichotomy between the positive and negative reviews with regards to "The Fields" is that you have those looking for "scare the crap out of me!" horror and those that see this film is truly full of horror elements. It is not dull, boring, nor uneventful. In fact there are many different things going on here in this period piece that is very well executed and is highly worth viewing, in my (and many others') opinion. We know that film reviews are subjective: not everyone is going to like the same thing, this goes without saying. The Fields really covers so much ground and truly disturbing yet also interesting and "good" moments that it would be very unfortunate that one would not watch it based on some poor reviews. Be wary of those telling you not to waste your time. I almost heeded their words and would have missed out on this complex and realistic gem.

If you expect this to be a movie filled with jump scares and the likes you are expecting the wrong things from this movie. This movie plays with fears and anxieties of a little kid. And even Tara Reid cannot really affect the movie (especially because thankfully she is not in it the whole time). The star of the movie is the kid and he does a really good job.

If I had read the based on actual events I might have not looked upon the movie the way I did. But even so, if you take it as it is, you might be able to enjoy this vision of fear. Just don't go in expecting this to be your typical run of the mill horror movie. It's still predictable, but a decent movie after all