jennifer-menzies

This thriller is based on a British 1980's TV series of the same name. While the TV series dragged and feels very dated to the modern viewer, this film certainly did not. Unlike a lot of thrillers these days, it did not leave you scratching your head trying desperately to hear every word of mumbled dialogue in case you missed an important plot point. It was very well executed and easy to follow - though not by any means overly simplistic. This was a huge plus in my opinion. The story itself was intriguing and interesting and Mel Gibson gives a wonderful performance. He has always been a great actor and deserves to be welcomed back by Hollywood with open arms! His depiction of a man intent on avenging his daughter's death is full of raw emotion - both deep sorrow and anger are expressed in equal measure and are totally convincing. The plot is well paced and exciting and the ending is unexpected. I will not say anymore in case I give too much away. Ray Winston is menacing and mysterious, although somewhat underused. It would have been good to see more of him. There are some real 'heart in your mouth' moments that will have you jumping out of your seat. The film is not overly violent and tends to cut away from the (implied) heavy violence just before it escalates - for example when Mel's character gets hold of a particular 'baddie' in the woods. It has the feel of one of the older Hitchcock thrillers in terms of story and pacing. I would recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers, and who enjoy truly wonderful acting.

At first, this film seemed exciting, intriguing and credible. However it has since became obvious that it is not a real life story at all. The whole thing is clearly a rip off of two other genuine real life documentaries - 'Talhotblond' and 'My Kid Could Paint That.' Watch those instead and avoid this. (Unless you are happy to accept that it is fiction and ignore the fact that the film makers are trying to hoodwink you!) I hate being conned and felt cheated by this film. The smugness of Nev Schulman throughout the film is extremely annoying too! If he wished to make a film about the perils of the online world, he should have presented this as a work of fiction, rather than trying to replicate the techniques employed by the makers of 'The Blair Witch Project.' At least the people behind 'Blair Witch' revealed fairly quickly that their film was not actually real, whereas Schullman has continued to lie about the authenticity of his work. There are many obvious 'plot holes' which give the truth to the lie, but I will not list them here as I do not want to have to use the 'spoiler alert' banner!

There is nothing I enjoy more than compelling real life stories, and this is certainly one. The story is disturbing and fascinating in equal measure. It details an almost unbelievable chain of events, which results in one man (Thomas Montgomery) carrying out a brutal and unforgivable act, fuelled by obsession and temporary madness. The film tells us how he got to that stage, in his own words. As well as interviews with him, there are insights from clinical psychologists, attorneys, and various law enforcement officials, and the other key figures in the story. (I will not say more about who these 'key figures' are as I do not wish to give it away.) But their honesty during their interviews is commendable and very much adds to the credibility of the film. To my mind, this is clearly what inspired the fake "real life" documentary 'Catfish'. In fact I would go so far as to say Catfish totally ripped this off, and threw in a few elements of 'My Kid Could Paint That' for good measure. Anyway, this film is definitely one to watch. It is a stark warning of the perils of the online world and is also of interest to people who enjoy learning about the human psyche and criminal psychology. Highly recommended.