Retreat (DVD)
| release date | February 21 2012 |
| studio | Sony Home Entertainment |
| director | Carl Tibbetts |
| writer | Carl Tibbetts |
| starring | Cillian Murphy, Thandie Newton, Jamie Bell |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
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I was REALLY looking forward to this movie because of the first paragraph of BD’s review. As usual, I completely disagree. Its not a complete waste of time, but its VERY close. This movie should come with a warning label: DO NOT WATCH WHILE OPERATING HEAVY EQUIPMENT.
Meh, not what i thought it was going to be, it really had the opportunity to be great, but fell short somewhere along the way. Disappointing, I was actually really looking forward to this one.
Kate and Martin, grieving from events in their lives, take a vacation to a secluded cabin on an island, completely isolated from the world. One morning they discover a man on the beach, passed out and covered in blood. Upon bringing the man into their home and discovering his gun, the man proceeds to tell them that an airborne virus has swept the world, killing off most of the population. He convinces them to board up the house and not let anyone in. Blah blah blah and that’s about it.
There was so much room in this story for something more to happen, and for it to go somewhere unexpected. It’s almost like the filmmakers did not trust the audience enough for it to really have a good twist to it. Completely predictable.
A powerfully acted, shocking. tense and suspenseful thriller that has one hell of a messed up ending that will stay with you long after it’s over. The movie starts off pretty slow and depressing with an couple who take a trip to a retreat isolated cottage to save their marriage after they suffered from a miscarriage soon take a turn for an even more unfortunate event when a stranger stumbles and collapses on the property. They soon realise bringing the stranger into the house was a big mistake when the find that he is armed with a gun, he soon wakes up and warns them that a huge deadly outbreak is spreading rapidly and the must board up the house in order to survive, then the cat and mouse games begin. This movie will soon have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what’s the real truth and what’s not and will through you for a loop and is filled with dread and intensity of not clearly knowing what’s going to happen next. It packs a devastating powerful punch when the motive is revealed and a shocking out of nowhere conclusion that was haunting and unsuspecting and adds even more to the already grim appeal, so definitely one viewing is enough type of movie but a bold, smart and unsettling one at that. Overall it’s not a movie for everyone and takes some patience and isn’t for the weak of heart and as a whole it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as I had hoped for but it’s an better than average thriller in the likes of Dead Calm, Cape Fear, Straw Dogs, Right At Your Door but I say wait for rental because it’s just not that worth going to the movie theater to see it. 6.9 out of 10
Im not sure how I didn’t really know about this, but just happened upon the trailer and had to watch it because I love Jamie Bell and Cillian Murphy. It isn’t so much a horror movie as it is a psychological thriller, but still not quite that either. I dont really know how to put it. But it is good, very very well acted. There is something missing there though, to put it over the edge. I think maybe it’s just a bit too long, and perhaps the plot can’t carry its weight around 1/2ish way through. The last quarter of the film almost makes up for it. It’s clever, but because the entire film takes place in one setting, it takes a lot to pull that off and this movie doesnt quite get it. I think of Kubrick’s The Shining which nails the real claustrophobic feel. This film doesn’t really do that for me at all, I disagree with the reviewer here. I felt tense, but it was the characters, not the setting. Despite the film dragging on for parts, I never really felt like enough time had passed to build enough tension in the place. A place in a film like this needs to become its own character in a way, and this film just didn’t deliver that. Still a solid film worth a watch for sure, the actors delivered.
From the BD review – “Don’t watch any trailers, don’t watch any clips, don’t read this review or any others before you see Retreat because it will exhaust the uniquely intense experience that this movie offers…….it’s still going to grab you by the throat and leave you breathless.”
Couldn’t disagree more. I was really looking forward to seeing this one and I wanted that “uniquely intense experience” but sure didn’t find it with Retreat. Nice performance by Bell, nice premise but terrible execution, imo. Lower your expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised but this was no masterpiece. Not even close.
wow what a Surprise! did not know anything about this and read no reviews before watching it- This like Pontypool would make a Great Stage Play this little gem went places i did not expect at all!
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa.
Whoa.
Hold it for a second. I liked this movie. Really. But there are a few things that need to be straightened out.
This is not a unique experience. This is not a mind-f–k. This will not bend the walls of perception, and make you re-think everything that’s happening.
What it does do is provide an interesting flipside to a home invasion.
The ending doesn’t change everything. There are only two possibilities for the outcome of the film: Jamie Bell’s character is lying, or Jamie Bell’s character is telling the truth.
The movie attempts to cheat a little bit in the last 5 minutes, but the outcome is never in any real doubt.
And there’s nothing wrong with that!
All told, Retreat is very well made and well acted. It looks nice. There’s a palpable sense of danger.
But what it’s not is a unique experience.
Oh, and the trailer won’t ruin anything, if people are curious.
Directed by Carl Tibbetts, as far as I know this is his first major involvement writing and directing. The story is focused on a couple, played by Thandie Newton and Cillian Murphy, taking a much needed break on an uninhabited island. I really liked Cillian in the movie âe~Red Eyeâe(TM), which was directed by Wes Craven in 2005. In âe~Retreatâe(TM) Cillian plays a different character than what we have previously seen from him. A weak man, similar to the father in âe~Funny Gamesâe(TM). I guess it was a creative decision to have a non threatening, low energy type of modern man in this film. It would have been interesting to see a strong man in this film and not such a wimpy character. Thandie plays the strong one in the screen relationship, it’s good to see her spread her wings. She seems the good supporting actress in everything she works on but nothing memorable. However, I will remember her in this.
This film is a reasonable thriller that is irritable at times to watch because there are scenes and developments during the flow of the story where I could not suspend my disbelief. The PR quotes on the DVD cover suggests itâe(TM)s a cross between âe~Straw Dogsâe(TM) and âe(TM)28 Days Laterâe(TM) which it is absolutely not.
To be fair, character depth is solid by all and I liked the ending, it just needed more moments that we have not seen before for this effort to really stand out. It is fun to watch and some of the twists are good. I am pleased to point out one of the best things in this film is actor Jamie Bell, yes the one that played Billy in âe~Billy Elliotâe(TM) way back in 2001.
I am a great supporter of films that use unknowns, films that give fantastic opportunities to lesser known talent. A good example of this would be the superb âe~Panic Buttonâe(TM). Sometimes when you see well known actors being used in a film like this, no matter how good they are, you are watching film stars and you canâe(TM)t always loose yourself and believe their characters in the story. I feel ‘Retreat’ would have been improved if the main couple were played by unknowns. I’m sure it’s a balancing act, to finance film and to make them financially worthwhile they need to attract a wide audience, so producers sometimes choose to go to known actors. I genuinely hope Carl’s next project will be one that will make a bigger impact.
bleedingcritic
bleedingfilms.com
A mostly dry, boring movie that, while similar in nature to the above-average thriller Dead Calm, utterly lacked the atmosphere and suspense of that earlier film.
However, towards the end the was a really interesting plot twist as to what was really going on that did seem to bring the film up in quality. Then….that utterly moronic ending. Yeah, the ending was another major twist, but it was a dumb one.
3.5/10