Based on a novel of the same name, "Shiver" delivers only occasionally. The predictable, derivative screen story gains a little traction from performances, but not enough to keep it afloat. Among these are uneven performances by Danielle Harris (some of her scenes are quite good) as the wallflower office worker Wendy Alden, and John Jarrett as the serial killer Franklin Rood, who stalks her. (But don't expect anything close his creepy performance in "Wolf Creek"). Casper Van Dien and Rae Dawn Chong do quite well in their performances as the detectives on the loony's trail. The central problem is the script, which may not do justice to the novel: the main characters are flat and under-developed; the police and corrections officers are presented as incredibly incompetent. And the rationale behind the crimes is unexplored; evidently a single traumatic event in Rood's childhood drives him over the edge. The camera work is fine, and the editing sharp, though a little jagged. Taken on its own terms the jazz soundtrack is okay, but it seems to belong to another film.
20 Reviews
"Chuckle" would be more suitable
Coventry29 October 2012
It's too bad that I end up writing an overall negative review for "Shiver", as I truly and honestly wanted to like it! I saw the film at a very small-scaled but charming Festival in my home country, and both director Julian Richards and writer/producer Robert D. Weinbach were present for the screening
Yes, sadly it wasn't lead actress Danielle Harris who traveled to Belgium for a visit. Anyway, they are both very friendly gentlemen and truly proud of their accomplishment. They describe "Shiver" as the first a deeply disturbing serial killer thriller in a very long time and supposedly also one of the first to draw a profound and genuinely realistic portrait of the psychopath. Well, it's good that they're fond of their product, of course, but sadly all I watched was a dull, derivative and tremendously clichéd run-of-the-mill B-movie thriller. John Jarratt, who my girlfriend immediately recognized from his role in the sappy soap series "MacLeod's Daughters", is immediately introduced as the murderous madman Vinnie even before the opening credits appear on screen. So don't pay any attention to the other user comment around here claiming that the trailer reveals the identity of the killer
You're meant to know right away. Vinnie savagely strangles with a steel wire because he had a traumatizing childhood. This gets illustrated trough a flashback in which we witness two bullies crushing little Vinnie's glasses. Now if such a vile act doesn't turn you into a relentless and misogynous serial killer, then what does? Vinnie leaves a big trail of bloody massacres behind in Oregon's Portland, and in spite of his rather rude and careless modus operandi, the dumb police inspector Casper Van Dien doesn't have a clue how to catch him. Then one night, Vinnie breaks into the apartment of cute single lady Wendy Alden. When she narrowly survives Vinnie's assault, he becomes obsessed with her and convinced that they belong together. What ensues is an incredibly tedious and predictable cat-and-mouse game, featuring all the clichés you can think of. Our killer literally pops up everywhere around Wendy, even in places where he couldn't possibly guess she is there, and "Shiver" quickly becomes ridiculous beyond proportions. Near the climax, Vinnie goes on a sickening blood rampage that is actually laughable instead of disturbing, and the final confrontation between him and Wendy is then again quite tame. Horror princess Danielle Harris ("Halloween", "Hatchet") gives a good performance and the make-up effects are pleasingly gross, but the film is far too weak in the scripting and executing departments.
Danielle Harris and John Jarratt are the only reasons to watch Shiver.
myignisrules1 June 2017
Shiver is one of those straight to stream movies, that you can easily miss, but I try to catch these when I can. 9 times out of 10 they suck but when I saw Danielle Harris was one of the stars, I knew it might be good and I'm pleased to say, her performance, along side John Jarratt, who plays our resident psycho, manages to take a bland story and turn it up a few notches.
They are the strength of this movie and without their solid turns as Psycho Serial Killer vs The Final Girl, this movie would've fallen flat. When they aren't the focus (and thankfully they get most of the screen time in the second and third acts) Shiver becomes boring, with Casper Van Dien (what happened to you Casper?) as the cop on the case, and Rae Dawn Chong (the stewardess from Commando) as his partner, sleepwalking through their parts.
It's a decent horror and the blood and terror builds as the movie goes along. It won't win any awards and I don't see it ending up on any Best Of lists, but the performances of the two lead actors make for an entertaining watch.
They are the strength of this movie and without their solid turns as Psycho Serial Killer vs The Final Girl, this movie would've fallen flat. When they aren't the focus (and thankfully they get most of the screen time in the second and third acts) Shiver becomes boring, with Casper Van Dien (what happened to you Casper?) as the cop on the case, and Rae Dawn Chong (the stewardess from Commando) as his partner, sleepwalking through their parts.
It's a decent horror and the blood and terror builds as the movie goes along. It won't win any awards and I don't see it ending up on any Best Of lists, but the performances of the two lead actors make for an entertaining watch.
To Say It Strains Credibility Isn't Going Far Enough
hbeeinc10 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Franklin Rood is a serial killer - RUDE....GET IT??
That's about the extent of the depth of this POS. John Jarratt is the most annoying serial killer ever. Half retarded and....half retarded. He's a serial killer because someone broke his glasses. Seriously. We know he's a "genius" because he knows Edgar Allen Poe. And he's smart enough to scream "NOT SO SMART NOW, ARE YOU?" after he kills the woman who misquoted The Raven.
Wendy is a gorgeous wallflower, too timid to ask for a raise, but magically becomes a tigress street-smart enough to slip a knife up her sleeve when she feels threatened and calm enough to continue to slip away when threatened.
Adding insult to injury are jazz standards that pound away on the soundtrack.
Most stalker movies you have some kind of kinship with the killer. This guy you just want dead. And not in a good way.
That's about the extent of the depth of this POS. John Jarratt is the most annoying serial killer ever. Half retarded and....half retarded. He's a serial killer because someone broke his glasses. Seriously. We know he's a "genius" because he knows Edgar Allen Poe. And he's smart enough to scream "NOT SO SMART NOW, ARE YOU?" after he kills the woman who misquoted The Raven.
Wendy is a gorgeous wallflower, too timid to ask for a raise, but magically becomes a tigress street-smart enough to slip a knife up her sleeve when she feels threatened and calm enough to continue to slip away when threatened.
Adding insult to injury are jazz standards that pound away on the soundtrack.
Most stalker movies you have some kind of kinship with the killer. This guy you just want dead. And not in a good way.
Danielle Harris makes this derivative serial killer film tolerable
callanvass24 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Wendy Alden has a boring job, lack of self-esteem, and a love life that she is reluctant to fully commit to. To make matters worse, a notorious serial killer is killing off women in her area. Wendy encounters the killer and manages to escape from a near-death experience. In order to survive, Wendy is gonna have to outsmart the killer at any cost. I only watched this because of Danielle Harris, I think the woman is immensely talented, even when she is dealing with sub par scripts. There isn't really anything overly original in this one, it's fairly derivative, but it does what it can with the material it has. It has a bit of an old school feel to it and isn't afraid to push boundaries. it also has some decent psychology in it as well. I did think they could have delved further into the serial killer's plight because he just seemed like a typical killer with family issues growing up. While I will give it credit for doing what it can with the material, it's too derivative to be that effective. How many times have we seen a perverted serial killer hack off beautiful women over the years? Its been done to death. There are a couple of questionable plot holes as well. How did the killer survive the car going off a cliff? It isn't fully explained. I wondered how the police could be so incompetent at times. Poor camera work at times is also an issue. Gore hounds should be at least content with the amount of violence. We get a nasty slit throat, and an eye is gouged out. Bloody corpses, gunshot wounds, and severed heads add to the fun as well. The harshest part may have been the scene with the pregnant woman, I thought that was effectively brutal. The acting is decent. Danielle Harris is excellent as our heroine. It was nice to see they didn't fully go the way of the damsel in distress. She is very vulnerable, but the strong heroine you'd expect her to be as well. John Jarrett ranges from hammy to good. There were times where I thought he was outstanding with his work, others where he was too OTT. He was a bit too whiny for me in all honesty at times. Casper Van Dien is OK. He got this weird smirk on his face at the weirdest times. An underrated favorite of mine, Rae Dawn Chong has a small part as well
I tried to be as fair as I could with this review. For what it is, I felt it did some good things. It can be suspenseful at times with some great acting (Harris especially) , but there is nothing that special about it. It's just another serial killer film that is carried by Danielle Harris. Harris fans and fans of the genre will find a few things to like about this one
5/10
I tried to be as fair as I could with this review. For what it is, I felt it did some good things. It can be suspenseful at times with some great acting (Harris especially) , but there is nothing that special about it. It's just another serial killer film that is carried by Danielle Harris. Harris fans and fans of the genre will find a few things to like about this one
5/10
Pathetically, Embarrassingly Awful
jrd10938 January 2024
I watch a lot of low-budget horror movies on Tubi for fun, so I thought I knew what I was getting into with this one, but it was far worse than I expected. It might honestly be the worst movie I've ever seen - definitely one of the worst, if not reigning champion. It's so bad, in fact, that I almost feel bad writing this review; it feels like kicking a man while he's down. There's not a single redeeming quality to this movie. The car chase scene in particular is BY FAR the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. Another reviewer mentions Danielle Harris giving a good performance - I would like to know what planet that guy's living on. Your average actress from a Swiffer commercial could've done a better job. John Jarrat isn't any better, despite his decent performance in Wolf Creek around the same time this was filmed. It's an absolute cluster from beginning to end, not even worth your time as a joke-movie. Most no-budget amateur films on YouTube are better examples of filmmaking. I'd be embarrassed to even have my name attached to this if I worked on it.
CATCH ME BEFORE I KILL AGAIN
nogodnomasters1 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Wendy (Danielle Harris) is pestered by a serial necrophiliac. To make matters worse Casper Van Dien is the detective on the case. The film is pretty much of a yawner. Nothing terribly graphic. The naked dead girl looks like a mannequin. The story was fairly straight forward and boring. Not worth a rental.
Parental Guide: F-word, C-word. Nudity?, near rape.
Parental Guide: F-word, C-word. Nudity?, near rape.
Complete wastage of time
physicsgulati6 March 2018
I usually watch online movies by first review ing it on imdb. On finding good reviews only then I watch films...but I ignored the review about Shiver...& I paid the price...I wasted nearly one & half hour on a most foolish movie of Hollywood I have ever seen......No storyline...No thrill...So guys go through reviews before watching any Hollywood movie....
Danielle Harris Makes Shiver Worth Watching
tradeczar23 October 2013
In nearly every respect, Shiver is just another movie about just another demented serial killer. But a viewer who sticks with it, will see that the lead Woman in Peril played by Danielle Harris is far from the typical panicked screaming and annoying victim. Ms. Harris delivers an impressively nuanced performance in a movie that on most respects is totally lacking in nuance. True. Even with another actress in the lead role. Shiver's unpretentiousness would be refreshing (except for the very Carrie-esque final few scenes). But Danielle Harris' performance as an alternately tough, angry and frightened young Portlander is worth a watch purely on its own merits.
Better ways to spend your time.
thomasalexanderdamienoma7 March 2021
If you've seen any serial killer movie you've seen this film already. It's boring, nothing new and just straight up rubbish. In the U.K. it's called skin collector a title which makes no sense after you've watched the film. I say don't waste your time. If you've made it here because someone told you to watch it slap that person in the face. Lol
Great Movie!
americanidolboy137 June 2013
I was lucky enough to get to see this movie at a screening and I really don't want to say much about the movie because you need to see it yourself and be surprised. But it is very WELL worth your time to watch. Danielle Harris did an outstanding job with her role and the script was very well written. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and there were a lot of things I was NOT expecting to happen. Overall I would give the movie a 10/10 because it was good. I'm a big supporter of Indie films and respect them so much and I think this has to be one of my favorite B movies along with Stakeland which Danielle also happens to be in oddly enough. So give the movie a watch you won't regret it!
Good serial killer movie
ebookgamer1 December 2021
Realistically shows the killer's psychopathic tendencies and lack of empathy very well. Danielle alone deserves 10/10 for her acting. Some bits of almost too realistic gore, apart from heads in jars (re trailer). Enjoyed the film, and the last 10 mins deserves its own movie!
Skin Collector (2021)
vengeance202 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
So apparently this film finally gets a UK release after 9 years under the name Skin Collector, I knew this only after watching when the credits rolled you saw the name, which wasn't a surprise to me as dozens of UK releases to films from the US have different names, but it was the fact it took nearly a decade to get this one out, which I never knew until now, I thought the film was brand new when I bought it, I thought Danielle Harris looked a bit young...
Anyway... the film follows a psychopath who decapitates young women's heads & puts them in jars. That's it. Not much thought to it, other than the women he targets are women he sells jewelry to prior to killing them as his real job by day is working at a jewelers. But aside from that, it's below standard at best & at worst, it's pretty flat.
The story while simple doesn't have enough weight to it, it's better than most films which have similar budgets, but it isn't great in itself. It just lacks beefs & body count, not to mention any interest holding to it. It's great to see Danielle Harris in this, a well known Scream Queen in the 3 Hatchet Films (another point regarding how old this film is as on the back of the DVD cover it only mentions the first 2 Hatchet films beside her name) & of course John Jarrett whose known for his roles in the 2 Wolf Creek films. Those 2 actors done well along with the others, but the film itself felt weak & watery near the end & just didn't cut it for me.
With a runtime of 1hr & 19mins, it's short, sharp & lean. But sadly the film itself fails to hold my interest sadly. While the performances, gore, eye candy & graphics a were good, the story pacing were off.
2/10
Anyway... the film follows a psychopath who decapitates young women's heads & puts them in jars. That's it. Not much thought to it, other than the women he targets are women he sells jewelry to prior to killing them as his real job by day is working at a jewelers. But aside from that, it's below standard at best & at worst, it's pretty flat.
The story while simple doesn't have enough weight to it, it's better than most films which have similar budgets, but it isn't great in itself. It just lacks beefs & body count, not to mention any interest holding to it. It's great to see Danielle Harris in this, a well known Scream Queen in the 3 Hatchet Films (another point regarding how old this film is as on the back of the DVD cover it only mentions the first 2 Hatchet films beside her name) & of course John Jarrett whose known for his roles in the 2 Wolf Creek films. Those 2 actors done well along with the others, but the film itself felt weak & watery near the end & just didn't cut it for me.
With a runtime of 1hr & 19mins, it's short, sharp & lean. But sadly the film itself fails to hold my interest sadly. While the performances, gore, eye candy & graphics a were good, the story pacing were off.
2/10
xxxx creek
martinjohnston3912 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Cant believe this from the same guy who made the last horror movie. That starts in a diner as well ,but then max says he taped over it to show you what serial killing is really .brutal , cruel and mundane and messy.so ten years later the director got a bit more money and bigger stars and made this deriative hollywood by numbers abomination ,come on in the nineties and early2000,s we had this done to death. If you pardon the pun .thats what has peed me off about this film ,its took away the greatness of the last horror movie imo,i thought julian richards was innotive and would go on to great things ,oh well .dont bother with this tripe , having said all that maybe there is hope for the director as i really liked ,REBORN that took me back to the 70/80s great tv movies ,but this one is skippable .
Unconvincing
samthejudgeamos22 May 2022
Slasher Thriller with Brad HARRIS
ZeddaZogenau20 March 2024
Mediocre serial killer horror flick with an established cast
There's a really nasty serial killer (John Jarratt, known from Wolf Creek) going around in Portland. But in his latest victim (scream queen Danielle Harris) he finds an absolutely equal opponent. It remains to be seen which of the two will win in the end!
Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) is solid as the handsome police detective. Rae Dawn Chong (Command), who can currently be admired as US President Clinton's legendary receptionist in the Monica Lewinsky series "Impeachment: American Crime Story 3", plays the tough investigator colleague here.
What is special about this film is the very last screen appearance of action legend Brad Harris (1933-2017): He can be seen very briefly as a demanding police chief. Brad Harris, who is known from many Italian sword and sandal films and from GERMAN ADVENTURE FLICKS, also co-produced the film.
You can definitely watch it just before Halloween.
There's a really nasty serial killer (John Jarratt, known from Wolf Creek) going around in Portland. But in his latest victim (scream queen Danielle Harris) he finds an absolutely equal opponent. It remains to be seen which of the two will win in the end!
Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) is solid as the handsome police detective. Rae Dawn Chong (Command), who can currently be admired as US President Clinton's legendary receptionist in the Monica Lewinsky series "Impeachment: American Crime Story 3", plays the tough investigator colleague here.
What is special about this film is the very last screen appearance of action legend Brad Harris (1933-2017): He can be seen very briefly as a demanding police chief. Brad Harris, who is known from many Italian sword and sandal films and from GERMAN ADVENTURE FLICKS, also co-produced the film.
You can definitely watch it just before Halloween.
I see what it could have been and tries to be, but that only gets one so far.
I_Ailurophile30 September 2023
It's never a good sign when the very first scene of a movie is so tiresomely heavy-handed that one's immediate thought is that there will be no need to be actively engaged with the remaining ninety minutes. This will sadly prove to be the enduring impression throughout, for in every capacity there is a brusque, blunt, hollow edge that accentuates the inauthenticity. The dialogue and character writing is full of tropes and stereotypes; the scene writing is flat and lifeless; the narrative is dull and bland, copied and pasted from any number of other titles. There's no subtlety, tact, or nuance to be found in the direction, and in turn there is none to be found in the acting despite the best efforts of the cast (then again, sometimes there's no apparent effort at all). Whether a song is presented on the soundtrack within a scene, or especially when it's possibly being performed within a scene, it sounds astoundingly empty, as if it were a parody. Each passing moment and every little inclusion feels like a series of hard, blocky edges butting up against one another - false, contrived, ill-fitting, with every small facet amplifying the lowliest qualities of those around it. 'Shiver' is not good.
There are some good ideas here. I'm unsure if a lot of those ideas are best suited for an earnest horror-thriller or, like the worst ideas, for a parody. The resulting screenplay reflects poorly on screenwriter Robert D. Weinbach, but to be frank, it also reflects poorly on novelist Brian Harper, because the conglomeration is so deeply unsatisfactory and unconvincing that I find it hard to imagine that a screenwriter could mangle a good book this badly. I guess the stunts are decent enough, and the practical effects. The hair and makeup artists did good work. The filming locations are swell, and the art direction. Richard Band's music is decent, if sparing and minimal. I see the skills of the cast that would surely shine through if given an opportunity; would that Julian Richards' direction didn't reduce every every component part to a tawdry, flimsy fraction of what it's supposed to be. There are no thrills to be had, nor any basic excitement; moments that should be creepy, charged, or disturbing are instead almost laughable. In theory 'Shiver' should bear a grim, dark tone; in practice, it's light and almost farcical, if indeed there's any tone at all.
I see what this could have and should have been. It should have been grotesque, exploitative, truly vexing, brutal, and nasty. What it is, instead, is exhausting, boring, boorish, grey, and mostly very trite; it stops just a little short of being a TV movie, in the worst of ways. Nearly all the best possibilities of what this might have been are squashed and squandered, and the relative strength of the last third can't compensate for broad, overwhelming deficiency. Had more care been taken from the outset, in the script and in the direction - even just as much care as had been applied to the back end - then the whole would have come off significantly better. As it is, 'Shiver' is lucky to have risen above rock bottom. I'm glad for those who get more out of this than I did, but unless one is a major fan of someone involved; I just don't see much reason why one should spend time here in light of the countless other titles one could be watching instead.
There are some good ideas here. I'm unsure if a lot of those ideas are best suited for an earnest horror-thriller or, like the worst ideas, for a parody. The resulting screenplay reflects poorly on screenwriter Robert D. Weinbach, but to be frank, it also reflects poorly on novelist Brian Harper, because the conglomeration is so deeply unsatisfactory and unconvincing that I find it hard to imagine that a screenwriter could mangle a good book this badly. I guess the stunts are decent enough, and the practical effects. The hair and makeup artists did good work. The filming locations are swell, and the art direction. Richard Band's music is decent, if sparing and minimal. I see the skills of the cast that would surely shine through if given an opportunity; would that Julian Richards' direction didn't reduce every every component part to a tawdry, flimsy fraction of what it's supposed to be. There are no thrills to be had, nor any basic excitement; moments that should be creepy, charged, or disturbing are instead almost laughable. In theory 'Shiver' should bear a grim, dark tone; in practice, it's light and almost farcical, if indeed there's any tone at all.
I see what this could have and should have been. It should have been grotesque, exploitative, truly vexing, brutal, and nasty. What it is, instead, is exhausting, boring, boorish, grey, and mostly very trite; it stops just a little short of being a TV movie, in the worst of ways. Nearly all the best possibilities of what this might have been are squashed and squandered, and the relative strength of the last third can't compensate for broad, overwhelming deficiency. Had more care been taken from the outset, in the script and in the direction - even just as much care as had been applied to the back end - then the whole would have come off significantly better. As it is, 'Shiver' is lucky to have risen above rock bottom. I'm glad for those who get more out of this than I did, but unless one is a major fan of someone involved; I just don't see much reason why one should spend time here in light of the countless other titles one could be watching instead.
Worth sticking with ...
parry_na26 February 2022
'Skin Collector' begins with a pre-credits sequence where stunning young Asian waitress Cathy politely declines the advances of a middle-aged hopeful and this results in his subsequent temper tantrum and her brutal murder in a public place, unseen by anyone. I wondered if this unassuming man was to be the film's killer, because although competently played, he doesn't possess any menace, instability or threat.
The hero of the piece Delgado (Casper Van Dien), a police inspector, is as square-jawed, designer stubbled and ruggedly handsome as you could imagine - competent but bland. With these two main players holding things together, this doesn't promise to be riveting viewing, sadly.
Wendy, a bullied (by her unspeakable mother) Portland secretary, is the most appealing character, and through her, things become ever more watchable. She is the most appealing character. Well played by Danielle Harris and constantly in jeopardy or put down by those around her, it is difficult not to empathise as her face crumples in misery as a result of her latest hardship.
Amid the nicely filmed rainy locations and John Jarratt's performance, the unterrifying Rood slowly becomes a fascinating villain because of his child-like politeness and unstoppable nature - an interesting combination. Stick with this and you'll enjoy it. My score is 7 out of 10.
The hero of the piece Delgado (Casper Van Dien), a police inspector, is as square-jawed, designer stubbled and ruggedly handsome as you could imagine - competent but bland. With these two main players holding things together, this doesn't promise to be riveting viewing, sadly.
Wendy, a bullied (by her unspeakable mother) Portland secretary, is the most appealing character, and through her, things become ever more watchable. She is the most appealing character. Well played by Danielle Harris and constantly in jeopardy or put down by those around her, it is difficult not to empathise as her face crumples in misery as a result of her latest hardship.
Amid the nicely filmed rainy locations and John Jarratt's performance, the unterrifying Rood slowly becomes a fascinating villain because of his child-like politeness and unstoppable nature - an interesting combination. Stick with this and you'll enjoy it. My score is 7 out of 10.
Good Psyhological Horror Thiller
jadediamond19 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I've been on a Danielle Harris movie binge watch. She's a great actress, but I noticed many of the movies only use her as a cameo or to trick the audience into watching or paying for a movie where she's hardly in the movie or her talents are underutilized or wasted. This movie truly is a Danielle Harris driven movie. In this movie, Danielle Harris plays Wendy, a secretary with low self-confidence who survives the attacks of a serial killer repeatedly trying to kill her and gains confidence in herself. I lowered my expectations of movies when it comes to the horror genre since many disappoints. So compared to other movies, this was a good horror movie which allowed Harris to shine and show off her acting talent. The movie also stars John Jerratt as the serial killer, Franklin Rood, Casper Van Dien as Detective Delgado, the beautiful Rae Dawn Chong as Detective Burdine, and the late Valerie Harper in a small but memorable role as Wendy's overbearing mother. Good cast, good writing/storyline, good heroine/villain match with Harris and Rood.
Wendy starts out as a young secretary working a job she hates, afraid to ask her boss for a raise, an overbearing mother treating her as a constant disappointment, a boyfriend named Jeremy she's not really interested in and obviously trying to get her back to his place to sleep with her, and a mediocre life which seemed like it's going nowhere. Yet after facing death from the serial killer Franklin Rood who murders his unsuspecting victims by strangling and beheading them to death with a garrote wire, Wendy manages to get away unlike his other victims. Instead of finding another target, Rood becomes obsess with killing Wendy and Wendy slowly transforms into a more confident version after surviving death.
I thought it was going to be a stupid movie since the killer was revealed in the opening act of the movie but Rood was a compelling, crazy, and almost likable villain similar to Freddy Krueger was to Nancy in Nightmare on Elm Street(1984). It was astounding how he always managed to stay one step ahead of the cops and wasn't afraid of getting caught and leaving them breadcrumbs to find out who he is or who was his latest victim His fearlessness made him a compelling villian. I'm not a feminist but I liked how in this movie, her beta male boyfriend or the cops were not able to save or protect Wendy. Wendy had to find creative ways to outsmart the villian long enough to stay alive and save herself. I liked how she took advantage of every opportunity to save herself and reacted how a normal individual would react when placed in a crazy situation.
Wendy's transformation is actually realistic. When faced with a life or death situation, you either developed a flight or fight response. Wendy chose to fight back and by doing so she became stronger, bolder, and empowered in other aspect of her life. She stood up to her overbearing mother who was so shocked by her daughter's transformation she finally shut up and listened to her daughter. She was forced to move on from a unfulfilling relationship of convenience she didn't want and into a new developing relationship with someone possibly more interesting. By facing death, she became more competent and learnt the only person she really needed to depend on was herself.
Most horror movie cops tend to be idiots. There were a couple of idiot cops in this movie, but for the most part Dien as Detective Delgado and Chong as Detective Burdine were actually written pretty good as cops in a horror movie. Their reactions were realistic and their investigations into the murder moved the plot forward and we began to learn more about the killer and his motives while Wendy and Rood played their cat and mouse game.
I realized enjoyed this movie. The entire cast shine and I liked how the tables were turned in the final scene. Definitely would recommend for someone who wants a decent horror flick compared the myriads of mediocre ones out there .
Wendy starts out as a young secretary working a job she hates, afraid to ask her boss for a raise, an overbearing mother treating her as a constant disappointment, a boyfriend named Jeremy she's not really interested in and obviously trying to get her back to his place to sleep with her, and a mediocre life which seemed like it's going nowhere. Yet after facing death from the serial killer Franklin Rood who murders his unsuspecting victims by strangling and beheading them to death with a garrote wire, Wendy manages to get away unlike his other victims. Instead of finding another target, Rood becomes obsess with killing Wendy and Wendy slowly transforms into a more confident version after surviving death.
I thought it was going to be a stupid movie since the killer was revealed in the opening act of the movie but Rood was a compelling, crazy, and almost likable villain similar to Freddy Krueger was to Nancy in Nightmare on Elm Street(1984). It was astounding how he always managed to stay one step ahead of the cops and wasn't afraid of getting caught and leaving them breadcrumbs to find out who he is or who was his latest victim His fearlessness made him a compelling villian. I'm not a feminist but I liked how in this movie, her beta male boyfriend or the cops were not able to save or protect Wendy. Wendy had to find creative ways to outsmart the villian long enough to stay alive and save herself. I liked how she took advantage of every opportunity to save herself and reacted how a normal individual would react when placed in a crazy situation.
Wendy's transformation is actually realistic. When faced with a life or death situation, you either developed a flight or fight response. Wendy chose to fight back and by doing so she became stronger, bolder, and empowered in other aspect of her life. She stood up to her overbearing mother who was so shocked by her daughter's transformation she finally shut up and listened to her daughter. She was forced to move on from a unfulfilling relationship of convenience she didn't want and into a new developing relationship with someone possibly more interesting. By facing death, she became more competent and learnt the only person she really needed to depend on was herself.
Most horror movie cops tend to be idiots. There were a couple of idiot cops in this movie, but for the most part Dien as Detective Delgado and Chong as Detective Burdine were actually written pretty good as cops in a horror movie. Their reactions were realistic and their investigations into the murder moved the plot forward and we began to learn more about the killer and his motives while Wendy and Rood played their cat and mouse game.
I realized enjoyed this movie. The entire cast shine and I liked how the tables were turned in the final scene. Definitely would recommend for someone who wants a decent horror flick compared the myriads of mediocre ones out there .
Neat little thriller
Woodyanders5 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Meek secretary Wendy Alden (a fine and sympathetic performance by Danielle Harris) fights back against nerdy and polite, yet still vicious and fearsome serial killer Franklin Root (a strong and unnerving portrayal by John Jarratt) after he chooses Wendy as his next victim. Wendy manages to get away from Root, but he comes back for her.
Director Julian Richards keeps the absorbing story moving along at a quick pace, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout, generates a good deal of tension, and delivers several jolting moments of brutal violence along with some nasty bits of bloody gore. The sound acting by the capable cast keeps this movie humming: Casper Van Dien as no-nonsense Detective Delgado, Rae Dawn Chong as Delgado's diligent partner Detective Burdine, Brad Harris as a hard-nosed police captain, and Valerie Harper as Wendy's snarky mother Audrey. Richard Band's spirited shivery score hits the shuddery spot. Zoran Popovic's sharp widescreen cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. An on the money item.
Director Julian Richards keeps the absorbing story moving along at a quick pace, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout, generates a good deal of tension, and delivers several jolting moments of brutal violence along with some nasty bits of bloody gore. The sound acting by the capable cast keeps this movie humming: Casper Van Dien as no-nonsense Detective Delgado, Rae Dawn Chong as Delgado's diligent partner Detective Burdine, Brad Harris as a hard-nosed police captain, and Valerie Harper as Wendy's snarky mother Audrey. Richard Band's spirited shivery score hits the shuddery spot. Zoran Popovic's sharp widescreen cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. An on the money item.
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