An interesting description on amazon prime, combined with a slightly higher than average rating, inspired me to start this movie up.
The first thing I noticed is how messed up the subtitles are. They have been transcribed without most punctuation, and without regard to changes in who is speaking.
The second thing that jumped out is how awkward the writing is. It's not bizarre like The Room, or strange and preachy like Birdemic. There is a lot of extraneous detail given, and it might be intended as character development, but it comes across like the screenwriter was told that he can't have his characters say only what they need to. There is a lot of repetition, characters reporting to each other what the audience just saw, characters reinforcing character traits, etc.
I thought that maybe it was a Hallmark movie, but it's too dark to be one.
The acting seems odd, and it's hard to tell if the writing is the problem, or if the cast is amateur. It could also be that there seems to be a lot of phone conversations, so actors aren't interacting directly.
There is a wonderfully ridiculous death that involves chopping a tree so it falls on the intended victim. Fantastic.
Close to the end, I found myself a bit confused, since the main character seemed to be unaware of things that she learned. She knows the relationship of the killer to the victim, but doesn't seem to realize it.
In more capable hands, this could be a passable movie of the week production. As it is, it feels like the upper end of amateur.
Technically, most of the movie is fine. There are a few bits with strange sound problems, but they aren't serious, and you don't miss anything important. The direction is usually passable, with a few unusual choices (particularly, when one character is introduced, we get a series of closeup shots, including one of the wheels of his truck.)
The movie ends with "it was all a dream."
As someone who has attempted a bit of screenwriting, I know that this is considered an unacceptable ending. There are ways to twist the story to make it work, but this one hasn't done any of that.
I don't think I can say that it's good at all - but it is completely watchable, and fairly entertaining in a strange way. Worth watching for people who like to look for the good in things.
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