Retreat (2011) #370

"Retreat" is a suspenseful but simple film about a couple who are out on a tiny island with a single large cottage, trying to enjoy their vacation/work on their marriage when I bloodied solider collapses on the pathway to the house. The tension quickly builds when the solider, Private Jack Colman, tells the couple, Martin and Kate, that there has been a deadly epidemic released in England and elsewhere and that the three must quarantine themselves away in the cottage. The virus has a 100% kill rate and the victims are dying slow painful deaths as they cough up blood as their lungs quickly deteriorate. At first Martin and Kate do as they're told, but as Jack's behavior starts to shift and his story stops making sense, the two try to find a way out of their hostage-like situation and a means off the secluded island.

What makes this film work so well are the strong performances of the three lead actors. Cilian Murphy isn't a stranger to this kind of film, and Jaime Bell and Thandie Newton prove without a doubt that they also know how to play off the tension that is growing between the characters. This is a solid film that first time director Carl Tibbetts should be proud of and I can't wait to see if he creates any other tense, chilling films in the future.

Red Lights (2012)

The movie “Red Lights” is the least horror-like film I’ve reviewed so far but it contains supernatural themes and is a great comparison to the movie I reviewed yesterday, “Apartment 143”. Both movies are about proving, or disproving, supernatural phenomenon. While “Apartment 143” the lead seemed a bit aloof, the investigators in “Red Lights” are believable and are deeply invested in their work. “Apartment 143” used fancy gadgets that seemed too fancy but “Red Lights” used techniques that make sense and that could be used in everyday situations. The funny twist to this comparison is the fact that both movies were written by the same man!

Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant, physicist Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy), spend their time disproving supernatural occurrences when they are not busy teaching a college course on the same subject matter. Examples include hauntings in an old house and the medium that is trying to make contact the spirit to a convincing but ultimately fraudulent miracle healer. In both cases, their tricks are easily explained and even demonstrated for the class. Whenever Dr. Matheson tries to ask why such a brilliant person like Buckley remains at the college helping her with her work, he always changes the subject. He is clearly passionate about this line of work because he is instantly fascinated by the sudden return of the famous psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro). After Dr. Matheson suffers a major medical emergency, Buckley becomes obsessed and tries everything he can to prove that Silver is a fraud. Silver claims that his powers are real and agrees to undergo testing at the very university that Buckley works for. After completing the tests, Silver announces his retirement and final show just as the test results are to be verified and publically announced. Buckley goes to the show for one last chance to reveal the truth and a final standoff with the psychic.

Favorite moment – I really enjoyed the process of how Dr. Matheson, Buckley, and student Sally (Elizabeth Olsen) uncovered how the miracle healer was working his magic. 

28 Days Later (2002)

“28 Days Later” is one of the few movies that truly gave me chills the first time I saw it. Director Danny Boyle was already internationally known after helming “Shallow Grave”, “Trainspotting”, and “The Beach when he took on his first major horror movie. For this endeavor, he brought in a talented British cast consisting of Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, and Christopher Eccleston aka Dr. Who. Using a script written Alex Garland (who also wrote the “Beach”), the movie is a gritty and realistic thrill ride in present-apocalyptic England, beginning 28 days after the infection Rage is unintentionally released upon the world.

“28 Days Later” has, in my opinion, the best explanation as to how or why its “zombie apocalypse” begins. I want to say that I use the term zombie lightly because the monsters are not undead like they are in every other movie. Instead, they are living, breathing, mindless creatures who live only to kill. They become infected in the same manner as zombies infect the living in most movies, by biting, scratching, and any form of blood transmission. This is the only movie where I have seen the “zombies” die of starvation. Its’ also a pleasant change of pace where the infected don’t have to be shot or damaged exclusively in the head.

The second half of the film is a frightening scenario of how a military, or any group that outnumbers another in both people and/or firearms, could treat others looking for help. It’s a shame that the only member of the military who did not agree with the popular plan was displayed as overly philosophical during the dinner scene. I’m being vague in case you have not seen this movie yet or in a long time.

My favorite moment – I love how the film quality seems gritty as if this was a low budget film. I also love the soundtrack, or lack thereof, throughout the movie. These two elements helped to create an atmosphere that drew the viewer even deeper into the film than they were expecting.