How to Save Us

This is one of those movies where some added bucks would have made a big difference.

The concept is sound. A guy goes to Tasmania (of all places!) to find his brother. The only problem being that Tasmania has become overrun with ghosts. Crazy, I know! The problem with How to Save Us is that it needed more. Thanks to the story, we know why nobody else is around, but still, it would have been nice if there were a few more cast members. For an hour and twenty minutes, we watch as this guy searches for his brother. The focus jumps between the two, but that's basically it for characters. Also, although I found the locations and sets functional, they never really stood out as anything special.

Despite all this though, How to Save Us breaks out of its limitations and still delivers a creepy, unsettling story.

I really enjoyed this movie. Good concept, good cinematography. Didn't end the way I would have expected.

This movie is very simple; a man goes after his younger brother who is lost in a territory that has been mysteriously quarantined in an area that is desolate. Everything has been abandoned saved for a creature that has been killing humans and leaving their bodies to rot. Brian, our hero is tracking his brother Sam, who has been leaving clues as to whereabouts. These creatures in the area are going after Sam, who has been studying them, tracking them and learning their weaknesses. They are unable to detect you if you are around dead bodies or if you are covered with the remains of the dead (ashes). They are attracted to electricity and they can be seen with infrared. All these creatures nuances have been meticulously detailed in a book and left for Brian by Sam. The story progresses in delightful twists and turns, encapsulating the audience with the frantic chase between hunter and prey.

As for the movie visuals, it was shot against the beautiful backdrop of Austrailia, with familiar landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House. The visuals capture the beautiful layout of the continent and simple shots add so much more to the story and the feeling of emptiness that amplify the story that there are only two beings on the entire continent.

This character driven piece keeps you involved at all times. When you think that the scene will drag, something comes out of the dark and pulls you through an emotional roller coaster for a few seconds, then you are back again. This particular filmmaker is no stranger to making pieces on a low budget with superior casting and storyline and this specific film is no exception to his track record. How To Save Us is a great independent piece and should not be missed!

What's with the high scores/user reviews this movie is getting on IMDb? Are they from members of the movie's cast and crew or something? Make no mistake, "How to Save Us" is a tedious, overlong movie that moves so slowly it's almost unwatchable.

About 90% of it consists of two men in camping gear that walk.

Walk. A. Lot.

Lot's and lot's of walking. Quite often however, "How to Save Us" shakes things up by having the constant walking become... slow, cautious walking. To drag out this finger drumming-fest of a movie even further. I understand "cautious" scenes are meant build up tension, but there's got to be some kind of point or payoff, guys. The white, swirly CGI effect you've put in with iMovie or Windows Movie Maker that *sometimes* shows up doesn't exactly fit the bill.

Very disappointing, especially given these high IMDb scores. I guess no system (especially an Internet scoring system) is ever perfect.

Avoid.

This movie has its a special theme that no character talks each other face to face till the end, all conversation going in either background or recorded on radio. Story about a man who finds his brother at quarantine island of Marina, where unknown ghost are wandering. You only can save yourself from them by drawing a line of ashes. Will he back with his brother ? Find answer after watching this movie. Quarantine feels current lock down situation due to Covid- 19 pandemic.