The Shortcut

THE SHORTCUT pretty much has a familiar formula but what sets it apart from the other films of it type is that it has a more fleshed out storyline that develops the main characters and the villains as well, its also never really in a hurry to get to the hacking and slashing parts its actually very plot driven and not even too concerned about showcasing a bunch of gore, it even generates a decent amount of suspense and manages to establish an unsettling mood exactly when it needs to.

The acting is very good, I don't know any of the cast members or I might not have seen them before and it has fairly likable characters which is something you barely see in these types of films, normally you get a bunch of teens that annoy the living hell out of you you just want to smash your DVD player in two because the killer is taking to long to kill them.

Overall, out of many of the recent horror fair I've seen THE SHORTCUT probably has the lowest body count and is the least gore driven but at the same time its also one of the better horror films I've seen, it has an ending that sucks but that's normal for most better than average horror films.

What can I say? It's a B-slasher flick with a pretty good cast and a weak plot. Really, the movie starts out very very weak. I was afraid it was going Disney horror on me. The script is really cheesy in the parts and the scares are so ridiculously stupid, it's not even worth laughing about. But as the film progresses the mood starts to change and the characters become more and more developed and the suspense starts to build. I really loved the character development here. I especially loved Mark (Dave Franco) who is really a funny, cowardly guy. He has some really funny back and forths with Lisa (Shannon Woodward) who is also very well developed and fun to watch. So overall, I liked the acting and characters. The plot was super weak. I didn't understand why in the world some random teenagers would care that much about going to that man's house. There reasoning was they wanted to know if that man was killing dogs. Well if he was, why wouldn't they just call higher authority to go check it out? Nope, they had to be on the case themselves. Which I suppose I can't fault since our little bleeders need a creepy place to get slashed away anyways. The deaths are all pretty well done, even though none of them are creative or gory in any way. It's very bland so I wouldn't recommend this to gore hounds.

The finale, which comes a bit too soon, is very predictable but it's still a nice little twist for this low-budget slasher. Even if it is a bit outlandish and confusing.

Overall, The Shortcut has it's moments, but overall it's an average B-slasher. Nothing more.

Derek (Andrew Seeley) high school student hears of a legend where students have been unduly dispatched while taking a short cut that is naturally through the woods. He and his intrepid high school buddies decide to prove or disprove the rumor and at the same time stir up the alleged perpetrator or encourage his socially unacceptable hobby.

This is your standard run-of-the-mill slasher movie. While there aren't a lot of scantily clad teenage girls squeaking around in this one. Yet we all know what's going to happen; probably a few shots, a few cuts, some smashing things, spooky music, and whatnot. Yeah, there are the standard twists and turns and the obligatory surprise ending that never surprises anyone. For people that enjoy Gore for gore's sake, this might even be a five-star movie. For people looking at scantily clad female girls, this movie is a dud. For people looking at artistry balance and the structure of the movie itself, you will find it so-so.

Appropriately named movie.

There are other reviews, this is just a comment. Movie is decent, ignore the haters.

Does have some issues (didn't know Nazi Germany was still fighting in fall of '45), plot meanderings, weak points and not exactly a master thespian cast but has some good horror moments, decent banter and semi-plausible character interactions.

The interesting thing about this movie is its orientation toward not showing the ultraviolence in all its dripping glory. The most visually graphic scene is when one character has his finger broken.

Personally, I am utterly sick of watching 80 minutes of CGI anatomy trying to take the place of a story. This movie has the sense to use the cutaway (ha ha) approach to violence and I respect it.

I would watch this movie 100 times over any of that Saw (post Saw 1, which I thought was pretty good) / Hostel torture voyeurism or Rob Zombie crap remake any day.

Normally, I wouldn't give a PG horror movie the time of day. Films like Twilight are not my idea of vampire movies. But, I just watched Tucker and Dale vs Evil and I wanted to see Katrina Bowden again.

The movie was mostly disappointing through the first two acts. It wasn't until there were only 20 minutes left that we saw any real action. Then, it was intense as the kids were running for their lives.

The story was predictable. I won't give anything away. The ending was a jolt and showed some real creativity.

No standout performances, except for maybe Raymond J. Barry, who played the old man in the woods.

You can find something better to watch.