One of the best movies I've seen in years!

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2015)

I don't tend to give unqualified praise often, but this movie was amazing. It was wildly atmospheric right from the start and while the images/ideas were very disturbing, it was never too gross to watch (which is a big hang up for me - I shouldn't want to close my eyes while watching a movie). But do be warned that the ideas are truly disturbing. This is particularly true if the idea of family violence is bothersome to you (my husband, for example, won't watch anything where people have to see/hear loved ones die). If you can get past that, you will be well rewarded. Ethan Hawke is amazing in this film as he vacillates between washed up, downtrodden middle aged writer and hot on the trail of something big alcoholic. He is so captivating that at a certain point you actually forget/don't care about the possible danger he puts his family in. And that makes the climax all the more enjoyable. Furthermore, this is not a film that is full of those ridiculous moments that horror movies are typically known for. Characters in this movie make exactly the same choices that I would reasonably make in such a messed up situation. It was quite refreshing to not have to spend most of the movie thinking that the characters are going to get exactly what they deserve for being so dang stupid. In fact, the only real issue I saw in the film (and it did bug me a lot), is that the whole premise is that in their new home Hawke finds an old school (50s-60s) reel projector with home videos. Even as a 40 year old man, the odds of knowing how to so skillfully work the old projector (not to mention hand splice the film) is a bit out there. Particularly since he sows no penchant for film in his every day life as a character. But perhaps that's just a back story that was never written in. I was certainly willing to overlook it given how truly terrifying the rest of the film was. It was worth every minute.