Dread (2009)

Three college students set out to document what other people dread most.

Director:

Anthony DiBlasi

Writers:

Clive Barker (based upon the short story "Dread" by), Anthony DiBlasi (screenplay)

Stars:

Jackson Rathbone, Hanne Steen, Laura Donnelly

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jackson Rathbone	...	Stephen Grace
Hanne Steen	...	Cheryl Fromm
Laura Donnelly	...	Abby
Jonathan Readwin	...	Joshua Shaw
Shaun Evans	...	Quaid
Vivian Gray	...	Tabitha Swan
Carl McCrystal	...	Axe Man
Derek Lea	...	Quaid's Father
Siobhan Hewlett	...	Quaid's Mother
Kieran Murphy	...	Young Quaid
Cheyanne Raymond	...	Zooey (as Cheyenne Raymond)
Zoe Stollery	...	Shauna
Elspeth Rae	...	Samantha
Erin Gavin	...	Valerie
Kerry Ann Smith	...	Nurse #1

Storyline

The outcast cinema student, Stephen Grace, does not drive cars due to the trauma of losing his brother in a car accident. He befriends, Quaid, who since the age of 6 has experienced dreadful nightmares and daydreams about the death of his parents. Quaid proposes they research about each one's innermost fear. Stephen sees the chance of developing an original thesis for college and invites his friend, Cheryl, to work with them. Among the interviewees, Stephen talks to his colleague, Abby who works with him in the library. Abby has a complex about the way she looks. When the work is almost complete, Quaid has an outburst at one interviewee's and ends up destroying the camera and editing equipment. Stephen begins to re-evaluate the situation.

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Plot Keywords:

dread | fear | college student | thesis | nightmare | 

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Taglines:

Your Time Will Come.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing sadistic content, graphic sexuality, nudity and language

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 2009 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Strah

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Essential Entertainment, Matador Pictures, Midnight Picture Show

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 95 min (Blu-ray)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When the flyer for the fear study is being copied, the light illuminates the original from underneath and the wording is not reversed. Since there is no printing on the side you can see, that means that the printed side being copied was printed backwards. Yet the copies coming out are printed correctly.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Quaid: Maybe I'm not being clear enough. Maybe I need to be honest with you and tell you what I want.

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Connections

References Casino (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Rusted Wheel"
Performed by Silversun Pickups

User Reviews

Not your average horror flick.

Having watched around 600 horror and thriller movies over the course of the last 20 years. I have rarely come across a horror flick that has the intellectual prowess of "Dread". This is a very well done adaptation of Barkers short story, and has kept the dark and ominous feel of the original.

The cinematography is masterfully done while keeping an almost home movie feel. The flickering lights and dark sets lend an eerily dreamlike feel to the bulk of the movie so that when the brighter scenes appear the contrast is quite stark.To say this movie is disturbing would be an understatement. The decent into madness depicted here is powerfully dramatic and quite intense. Not only is there violence, gore, and blood, but a realistic view of trauma inflicted psychosis becoming complete madness.

The bottom line is this. The ability to suspend disbelief is the cornerstone of any good story and this one delivers in buckets.