The Collector

The Collector is a lean and mean horror film, spending the majority of its run time in a gory game of cat and mouse that's not afraid to be cruel to the characters trapped inside it. The ending could've concluded in a satisfying fashion if it didn't go on for a few more minutes so it could end on a generically miserable sequel bait instead. It's a very 2000s movie in its editing that turns domestic bliss into a house of horrors.

Josh Stewart is surrounded by cannon fodder so he carries the film as a protagonist who may be doing a questionable thing but he's doing it for the right reason which ensures he remains a character you're desperately rooting for despite his initially misguided actions. He's resourceful and remorseful since he witnesses some truly disturbing actions whilst doing his best to help without being able to save everyone.

Marcus Dunstan's direction spends the ideal amount of time setting all the important events and motivations up before getting to the carnage, which is mostly told visually when Josh Stewart's reluctant thief begins to spot all the traps spread across the house in a way that's designed to be as brutal as possible. It does linger on the violence frequently however it doesn't feel as exploitative as other films released around the same time.