Friends Don't Let Friends

This movie was directed like a joke without a punchline. I'm not sure what they were going for but they missed . Maybe the second worst movie I have ever seen. Acting was plausible in places but the lines were just terrible.

Don't waste your time and don't waste your soul watching this drivel.

If you have seen James Mangold's excellent 2003 film "Identity" you've basically seen this movie - except done correctly. This one starts decently, even if poorly shot with no production value to speak of, but the actors are game (credit to them for giving it their all) and I'm willing to cut a lot of slack while a movie gets going (called "willing suspension of disbelief"). But then the friends get to the "desert" (the one with all the city lights a mile away in half the shots) and from that point on it's a continuous slide into awful. The filmmaker acts like having a twist at the end (or suggesting it's a dream or happening at the magical gates of hell - I won't say what cuz that would be a spoiler), excuses every inconsistency or unbelievable behavior or stupid action, and even if you're lazy enough to insist it does, the audience still has to suffer through them! This flick is three fourths all the way; one fourth promising and three fourths lame. For every nice little visual there are countless shots that are poorly lit and unimaginative. Add in poor gore effects (for the record, you can't bite off a tongue with your mouth closed - molars don't work like that!) and, possibly, the very worst portrayal of a mental health care professional that has ever been written and you have this movie in a nutshell. The twist is tired and clumsy (unless done right) and so ends the movie making you regret suffering through it. If you like watching small flicks like this just to study everyplace they went wrong, give it a shot. Or if you're really into frustration and suffering - your own. They had a chance - decent premise and everything - but despite the actors best efforts the writer/director repeatedly shot his film in the foot and then forced us to watch it limp sadly away.

And I'd question ANY 10 star review that doesn't think there's anything wrong with ANY film, let alone a micro-budget backyard production like this one...I'm just saying... either they worked on the film, know someone who worked on the film, or they didn't see it.

The top review here spoils a pretty significant part of this film. It's kind of a shame. I was waiting for the reveal for most of the film's duration.

Like most microbudgets it's a mixed bag in terms of production elements. There's some less than perfect dialogue sound at the beginning of the film, and they didn't have enough HMIs to light the entirety of the desert at night, but considering the reveal, I think that's forgivable in the context of the narrative. Production design is sparse, with most of the film taking place in the desert, but the scene immediately afterward (trying not to spoil anything) was really well put together. It reminded me a little of an iconic shot from the American version of The Ring.

The bright spots are the creature design which looks really rad. It's a menacing silhouette and those hands are definitely spooky. I also really liked Jake White's performance. His delivery is natural and his character is believable and doesn't alienate like some of the other characters. There is a "change" that happens with him. I would have liked to see him stick around as our surrogate anchor. Despite his flaw, he's easily the most likeable character in the film.

I think it's an admirable microbudget. Again, if you want to avoid spoilers, stay away from the IMDb reviews. I guess if you are already reading this though, it's too late.

This is not all that bad, for a first attempt, high school, movie project. But, why is it in a network movie library?