This evening I had some time to kill and I thought, what better way than to watch another movie? I’m also trying to prepare myself for next month when I tackle my 31 Days of Horror ambition, so bear with me as I muddle through the rest of September. And, truth be told, I probably should label September as the 8 Films To Die For month because it seems like those are the only movies that Netflix has been throwing my way in my recommend list. Go figure…
So, tonight’s choice was, you guessed it, one of the 8 Films to Die For movies titled, The Reeds. I have to say that I absolutely loved loved loved this film! And, from reading just about every review there was to be found on the movie, I think I may be the only one and I honestly can not find a reason why there is so much hate toward this little gem. The only thing I can think of is that this film is not the typical slasher horror movie that everyone seems to believe is the only type of horror movie out there! And this also plays into why I think horror is my favorite genre; because there are so many sub-genres to it. And this one falls straight into the supernatural ghost story one.
From the beginning, this movie had me. It is beautifully filmed and the story, though a little bit predictable (at least to this viewer), is well done. I read a lot of complaints on how many viewers were confused with what was going on, but if you pay close enough attention to everything that happens, the pieces will fall together in the end and it will all make sense. There were a few continuity issues, such as which leg did Nick injure, but these were not severe enough to disrupt the story, in my opinion.
Ok, the basic plot:
A group of friends plan a weekend getaway on the water. As luck would have it, their map is out of date, the reeds are confusing to navigate, and they eventually take a wrong turn getting them lost in the process. Add to this, various strange sightings of a group of teenagers that appear to be following them, plus nightfall…in the rain. All of this equals the perfect mixture for something mysterious to occur.
I don’t want to go into too many details because this will spoil the movie. I did think that the wrap up was nicely done and the reveal wasn’t too much “in your face” as writers tend to do. It was subtle and effective and, if you were paying attention, you can leap there before the main characters do, even including the inevitable twist that all films in the thriller genre seem to share at the very end.
If you like movies that include a bit of mystery and some ghost action, then this film is for you. If you want something that is in the slasher category, find another movie.
The technicals:
Director: Nick Cohen
Writers: Mark Anthony Galluzzo (contributing writer), Chris Baker
Starrring: Anna Brewster, Geoff Bell and Daniel Caltagirone | See full cast and crew
8 Films to Die For series
86 mins
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