Rating of
3/4
Very Strange
Franz Patrick - wrote on 09/17/08
I don’t know whether or not to recommend this picture because I’m kind of disappointed since I expected a different kind of film. But in a way, original expectations aside, this is a pretty solid and original piece of filmmaking which helped inspire modern psychological-thriller films that generate various valid interpretations due to a controversial ending. Creepy images are aplenty, some of which I’ve seen from the classic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the horrendous “One Missed Call.” I thought the writing was strong because it kept me guessing from beginning to end. Just when you think you got it all figured out, a missing piece of the puzzle is provided so then you have to take that into consideration and perhaps change your idea of where the story is really going. Tim Robbins as a war veteran who experiences strange phenomena is terrific here. He really embraced that he was in danger… but during the more sentimental moments, you cannot help but care for him because he really is a good guy. There is no one explanation that elucidates everything that is going on with this picture. I tried to watch it in two major angles: science and religion. Both work to justify the ending; it’s up to the viewers to draw their own conclusions. I’m ultimately recommending this movie because it makes its audiences think and it gives them really strange images, which are usually found in nightmares.
