I Came By

All you fans of thriller genre, I say do not, I repeat, do not miss this thriller. It may seem like the usual break-in thrillers, but believe me this movie will take you by surprise.

Very realistic plot with solid performance by all the cast, specially the performances delivered by antagonist (Hugh Bonneville) and the mother (Kelly MacDonald) which makes this movie much more appealing than what was expected from it.

"I (luckily) Came By" this title on Netflix and I am really glad I did.

Indeed the best in thriller genre to have hit the screen in past couple of months!

If you are someone looking for an unexpected plot with all the elements of surprises with a touch of reality then this one is for you.

I started watching this in the background. The two graffiti kids are not much to look at and you don't have a reason to care about them... until you do. This thriller was unexpected and while the ending could have been better, it was just right. I hear what other reviewers are saying about cliche themes, but I didn't feel like this tile was pandering to that. Bonneville's performance as the ex-judge living a double life was spot on. The police were once again disappointing but not for lack of trying, the bad guy does bad things well, the entire supporting cast did their job to perfection! Give it a shot.

Netflix has produced a better sort of film with I Came By. The strength of this film lies in its performances. Hugh Bonneville is terrifying and dangerous in this film. He easily transforms from the prim and proper characters he has played so well to a scary figure. The direction is not too bad. The scary music in key scenes and close ups and various camera angles sets a terrifying setting. We get this impression from the start of the film. I liked how the film was somewhat realistic as well. It would have been unrealistic and fan service to show all the main characters were alive in the end. If a person was in a situation with such a careful, paranoid and dangerous person, do you think they would be kept around? The film does not make that mistake and we see the main characters disappear because they were not prepared enough. I feel the storyline could have been stronger. Maybe there could have been a deeper motive for the retired Judge's behaviour? Why did they not explain his sociopathic tendencies for trapping and/or killing people? I feel they could have explained who the man he trapped was and why he was kept alive? These are just the gaps they could fleshed out to make a stronger thriller. Overall a captivating watch, I found it hard to put down and wanted to see how it ended. There was some form of justice but the realistic kind you could imagine in real life.

The start of the film was slow and although George Mackay did his best, he's a good actor, his character lacks depth and so isn't hugely likeable. Hugh Bonneville makes an excellent villain as to be expected. When the film gets going the 'jumps' work well and suspenseful moments are just that. I for one enjoyed the ending, it doesn't need explanation, just a little imagination. The script was not the best. When the police woman asks Percelle Ascott's character when he last saw Toby he says 'months ago' - what does that mean? 2months? 11?? The police never ask him to be more specific..really bugged me! Some of the direction is lazy or the director thinks we are stupid (there was no need to fixate on the road name sign when we already know what the house looks like and where we are). Weirdly though time moves very quickly in this film, yet there are no landmarks, ie a Christmas or maybe Toby's birthday. When you assume it's the next day it's actually 2 months later, which is weird. Overall once it gets going it's an enjoyable watch.

An unexpected surprise.

I have seen countless trailers for this, and if I'm honest, I was expecting something of a horror thriller, maybe something a little trashy, possibly a bit gory, the reality was something very different, a very meaningful, deep, character driven thriller.

I really did enjoy this, the relatively low score makes no sense to me, it's slick, well made, and quite an engrossing thriller. There are a few thrills and spills, perhaps not many as I'd hoped for, but there were enough to keep me entertained.

The acting was excellent all round, but two performances in particular really did stand out, unsurprisingly I'd highlight Kelly Macdonald and Hugh Bonneville, the pair were terrific.

Very nicely produced, it looked very nice, great use of lighting, and music that wasn't obtrusive at any point.

The ending was maybe a little too ambiguous, but it felt in keeping with the tone of the film. I'd have liked a few more jumps and scares.

Overall, I did enjoy that, 7/10.