Open Grave
Tags: murder

Plot synopsis:
A man (Sharlto Copley) wakes up in a large pit full of dead bodies and does not remember how he got there. In a panic he cries for help before a woman throws a rope down into the pit, allowing him to climb and escape.
The man eventually finds his way to a house and discovers five occupants. A mute woman who doesn't understand English, a German man and three Americans, none of whom can remember his or her identity, although they do soon realize that they can remember other aspects of their former lives (such as the ability to speak other languages).
After long arguments about who is to blame they eventually stumble onto their identities. The man, who has no ID, is called John Doe, the German is Lukas, and the other three are Sharon, Nathan and Michael. There are no documents for the mute. Lukas continues to be hostile toward John especially when the group uncovers a picture containing all of them, with the exception of John. A nearby calendar hints that something is going to happen in two days (on the 18th), but there are no notes to indicate what.
The next morning the group explores the surrounding area. John and Sharon stumble across a locked shelter. Inside is a child who refers to John as Jonah and is clearly terrified of him. The child refuses to answer any questions and Jonah is forced to flee.
Meanwhile, Michael hears screams in the background and follows them until he finds a man trapped in barbed wire. The man is heavily covered in cuts, bruises, and sores. He begs Michael for help, but when he goes to help, the man violently attacks Michael and he soon dies of his wounds.
Jonah suffers numerous flashbacks of violence toward people including slamming someone's head against a wall. He and Sharon come across a group of individuals chopping wood and the pair are forced to flee when the woodcutters give chase. Despite catching up with Jonah and Sharon the group gives up chase when they spot dead bodies hung from a tree.
Nathan gets attacked by a group of people in a zombie-like state, but manages to survive.
An increasingly ill Lukas stumbles across a video camera that contains clips of Jonah conducting medical experiments on him and others. In the clips, Jonah explains that the vaccine does prevent the infection spreading, but has the unfortunate side effect of rendering the recipient unconscious for several hours, lowering the pulse to just 30bpm, and causing temporary memory loss upon being awakened.
Lukas confronts Jonah and knocks him out, binding his hands and throwing him back in the body pit. Jonah escapes again, and while trying to drive as far away as he can, Jonah encounters the child from earlier and three others who are trying to escape. They abandon their car for another. They are adamant that his name is Jonah and that he is a dangerous man before driving away. Jonah explores the abandoned car, discovering a medical kit, documents addressed to him, and a photo of him and Sharon confirming the two knew each other previously.
Jonah finally has flashbacks that confirm his identity as Dr Jonah Cooke and that he was trying to cure a plague with the help of the rest of the group who turn out to be his medical team.
Jonah regains focus just in time to see a car hurtling towards him that is driven by a now nearly fully infected Lukas. Jonah manages to convince Lukas of what is happening, but the German dies before a life-saving injection can be given from a cooler containing vaccine that was in a nearby abandoned car and that was supposed to be delivered to the military.
As Jonah is driving back to the house to inform the others what is happening, his car runs out of gas as dawn approaches. Back at the house, the mute is hiding while Nathan and Sharon have now both fully regained their memories. Suddenly, the house is surrounded by a large group of the infected, and in desperation Sharon writes a letter to Jonah that explains what has happened and what the solution is.
She reveals that the mute is the key to survival as she is immune to a virus that has wiped out most of the world's population; that Jonah was the leader of the medical team that was trying to prevent it spreading and, if possible, cure the currently infected. Lukas had become infected a few weeks before the events of the films and Jonah had injected everyone with the vaccine just before he awakened in the pit at the beginning of the film.
The dawn of the 18th breaks and Nathan recalls that it was the date that the rescue team was due to come. Those zombie-like infected surrounding the house suddenly are all shot dead and everyone else seems safe. Nathan wanders outside the house and thanks the person or persons who saved his life. However, the soldier gets orders to leave no survivors. Nathan suddenly finds himself surrounded and then shot to death while Sharon and the now returned Jonah watch.
When trying to escape, Sharon is stabbed in the back by an infected woman.
With very few options available to them, Jonah decides that the only way to escape execution is if he and Sharon were to take the vaccine again, thus appearing to be dead until the soldiers disappear. They climb back into the pit of bodies from the beginning of the film and Sharon gives Jonah the letter she wrote earlier, telling him that he must remember.
Jonah passes into unconsciousness and the letter falls from his grasp. When he awakens later, Sharon has now died from her wounds although Jonah doesn't know who she is. The mute throws down a rope to allow him to escape. As his memory recovers, he and the mute start a journey to an unknown location. It is revealed in the note that the mute is the source of a cure, as her blood is immune to the infection. Finally, Sharon states a message for Jonah "my love, I remembered everything, we were both doctors on the verge of finding a cure for an awful plague that cast the world into darkness, the mute woman is the answer, her blood is immune to the virus you must protect her, you will find death and madness everywhere, but you have to fight to finish what we have started. we have no time Jonah, there are still people waiting to be saved, I know your memory will come back soon, when it does remember I love you".
The film ends with the pair coming across another pit of bodies that stretches for several miles.

Review: I'd highly recommend this film to anyone who likes a well told gritty story - I rate it a solid 7 out of 10.Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/Fun B-flicks/low budget films: http://www.imdb.com/list/YV1Lxq7WLkU/Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/In an ideal world, movies would be made without the aim for a certain rating.
After quite some time of waiting for something different, for a new approach, we can finally say we have lived to see it: Open Grave!Now, without spoiling the plot, I can't really go into too many details, therefore I'll keep this short and try to focus on the important thing: getting YOU, to watch IT!
The end, will be a few minutes when you'll stay on your couch, and feed on the dying moments, as they conclude into something great.Open Grave (not the most original name) but surely an original and complex way of telling a story..
Some people spend the entire time watching a movie like this trying to "figure it out" or whatever.
The film's opening takes you from you seat and places you in the full horror of waking up in an open grave of dead bodies with no memory of how you got there.The cinematography is ambitious, the music and sound are used subtly and with good effect, and the film's first quarter drags you in well and you want to know on earth happened just as much as the characters in the film.
The dialogue is forced and unnatural, their decision making strange, and the American accent by South African Sharlto Copley distracts, especially when you are trying to understand someone who has just woken up not knowing who he is.As the film gets past the hallway point, it loses its direction.
I know, amazing concept; making you continually ask who, what, and why like some kind of horror thriller where the protagonist, antagonist, victim and suspect are all the same person, but at the same time they aren't.
As the story unfolds, relapses in memory begin to occur, and we begin to see the true intentions of each character unfold, or as we the audience are to see happen.The actors do a great job, the main character Copley does a great performance as I myself enjoyed his other characters especially in the movie A-TEAM, and ELYSIUM.
Generally strange and grim things pop up as they explore their surroundings and elements are introduced that couldn't possibly begin to be fully explained.Director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego delivers some wonderfully macabre visuals and scenarios that he sprinkles throughout and the cast holds up as well as one could hope, but much of this plays like cut scenes from a more interesting video game.
While still a marked improvement on his previous effort, Apollo 18, this film attempts to pack in so much as it unfolds that it overwhelms the original conceit, making it more annoying than mysterious.Once the picture has finished with its big reveal, one immediately wonders why we wasted all that time fumbling around figuring out who was who and how many languages people spoke when we could have been exploring something much more interesting.
There is a quantity of violence and gore as one would expect and it is sufficient to make it feel 'real' without pandering to the morons who only find pleasure in gratuitous blood spatter.A lack of genuine scares steers Open Grave away from being an out and out horror but it does play on the nerves, keeping us on edge until we know what's going on.
This feels like a low budget flick but López-Gallego handles it well, eking it out so that rather than allowing his film to feel empty, he emphasizes the isolation of the characters.Copley recently complained that Hollywood doesn't know which box to place him in because he plays such a varied range of characters.
Nevertheless, Copley remains a very watchable actor and as the John Doe in one hell of a tight spot, he keeps us both guessing and attentive throughout.Open Grave isn't going to scare you witless like Insidious or have you avoiding the trees like The Cabin in the Woods, but if you're looking for a mild thriller that doesn't lay everything out before you in the first act, you could do far worse than this.For more reviews from The Squiss, subscribe to my blog and like the Facebook page..
I like all horror movies and this didn't even feel like one.I watched it cause I'm a fan of Sharlto Copley, but even he was dull.
It is hard to avoid what the movie is about, but I will just say this, I haven't seen such a good acting performance since "28 days later".The movie becomes predictable half way to the end, still you are set up in the situation where you have no idea what the main character is going to do or is going to end up.The ending is indeed one of my favorites and makes it more intriguing since it is a never ending loop of trial and error till you get it right, that is if you ever get it right!
The setup and trailer makes this seem like a SAW movie, but its quite far from it.It's a decent film, just don't go into it with any expectations.
With what seems like five series of Lost crammed into a single sitting you will find yourself wondering what the hell is going on and who on earth cast these actors....stick with it to be rewarded with an extremely interesting concept and storyline that only creeps up on you in the final scenes.I'm not going to say its great, and Sharlto Copley does still get a bit apartheid Basil Fawlty now and again but it really is worth it if not only for what they could have done with such a great idea..
Unfortunately, Open Grave is chock full of the clichés and convenient situations that plague most small-budget horror/mystery/thriller films.
The movie wants to be a lot of things, and in trying to weave everything together it just feels like a fan-fiction made into a film.
I'm sure like most people, you came to this movie via the pretty good looking trailer.
So far so good, but the problem is you don't have any idea why you should care about any of the characters until the very end, where the big revelation is made.A similar type of memory loss happens in Resident Evil; however, in Resident Evil you have people explaining what is going on and why they are where they are from the start.
In Open Grave, you are shown clues that are completely misleading and you don't know who the bad and good guys are; not until there's only five minutes left of the movie.
In short, the plot structure is seriously flawed.To be able to enjoy this movie you need to watch it a second time, this time knowing why you should care about the characters at all, but since the story is supposed to remain a mystery until the very end, a second viewing defeats the purpose for which the movie was made in the first place; which is to keep you guessing.
Problem with this film is that you get to know the end pretty fast (like after about 40 minutes) and then you have to wait about an hour to see the conclusion this film-with-a-much-to-thin-plot was inevitably was going to.
It will make you think and try to figure out along with all the characters who they really were and what the heck was going on around them.There was only one recognizable actor and that is Sharlto Copley, whom I first knew of in the excellent alien invasion film "District 9" and most recently as the errant king in "Maleficent." He gives the ideal face for the lead character John/Jonah -- a face you cannot trust.
The other actors are mostly unknown, but they do lend credible support, particularly Erin Richards, who played the lead female character Sharon.Fans of the zombie sub-genre will like "Graves" because it gives yet another new twist and viewpoint to the familiar story line.
The lead actress reminds me of young Michelle Pfieffer.The entire story line I don't know what to expect next, what the deal is with why these people woke up in an Open Grave.Eventually the story leads to something on what I can only describe as epic proportions.I love gore, sex, violence, in a horror movie.
Later on it becomes more apparent that one of the actors is the one who either caused or tried to fix this problem.The director plays with your mind a little as each character has random thoughts which we can't see enough of to give away anything about the plot, but look closely as it will help you discern what's actually going on.That being said, this knowledge will not likely give you any answers until you are told the "who, what, where, when, why and how" of this thriller.It's a little slow at times, mostly, I think because the viewer should be trying to determine what the heck is going on.
That does work, but I had only a little idea of what the real motivation of the film was by the time we actually find out.The movie is well worth seeing and although it pushes a couple of weird buttons about some potential challenges, I'd be surprised if you figure it out before the climax.Just my thoughts!.
Don't spend any more time reading reviews and simply watch it - you don't want any spoilers in advance.Enjoy this well made & acted film..
'OPEN GRAVE': Three Stars (Out of Five) Horror flick about a man who awakens in a pit full of dead bodies, can't remember who he is, and then stumbles across five other people, in a house, that can't remember who they are.
'APOLLO 18' was kind of fun but pretty bad; this film is a bit better.Copley stars as a man who awakens in a pit of bodies, out in the wilderness.
A group of people wake in a isolated house and now they must find out why are here and also in who they must trust in order to escape with their life.The beginning is good, with a dark atmosphere manage to hold the viewer in tension and makes it curious in what is about to happen next but along the way the movie loses interest, becomes uneventful, the action takes place to slow and the outcome leaves itself on waiting too much.
Boasting a cast including the fantastic Sharlto Copley from District 9, Open Grave hits the ground running with a great opening and keeps you guessing quite a bit as to what's going on.
The special effects were great, it had a mysterious atmosphere around it.It one of those movies that had great potential but got lost in the way, the zombie genera needs mire fresh ideas like this but it need a stronger story.
What I really liked about this film was that it continued to surprise, I got it wrong every time I tried to guess what was coming next and that for me is a real plus.The cast are a brilliantly disparate group too and they all do an excellent job of keeping you right on the edge of your seat.
And it's fun watching the movie trying to figure out what's going on.So the basic synopsis is, this guy wakes up in a pit full of bodies, comes out, finds all these people.
(Usually I can guess it a lot sooner).I think the title "Open Grave" probably scares away too many people, thinking it's some kind of grisly horror movie like Saw or something.
Bottom line: this movie is NOT a waste of time to watch (like so many others I've suffered through)..
I guess it's a horror movie but don't expect it to feel like that most of the time while watching.
This movie does a great job at creating a tense and mysterious atmosphere, your never sure about what is going on, and the plot is interesting enough to keep you entertained.
I recommend Open Grave if you like a good, solid, suspenseful movie, but don't expect to be overwhelmed..
To not add it to the generalized "time & time again" type of film genre that's been made yet again.It's of course common of all the genre's(&their accompanied sub-genre's)of films being,&have been made,although in my opinion it's especially more commonly seen when it comes to the Horror-Mystery Thriller movies(even if you include Sci-Fi into the mix w/havin the same mentioned sub-genre's),&even when it comes to also the movies generalized,like this one,as a"B- Minus"film.I was intrigued when I'd read the movies summary,&hadn't ever heard of it either until I happened to stumble upon it here(like I do w/Many other movies as well),so I gave it a chance,&am really glad I did!!Not only am I Grateful the director,producer,writer,&so forth,had come up with a different overall direction on the movies concept,&in a good way!Plus the actors may be ones I've at least never heard of before,but they All did their parts awesome,to where that all involved had pulled together an excellent movie to watch!!I admit that I was expecting to possibly chalk it up as either: yet another "B-Minus Movie" where *Yawn*I'm bored,or 5 minutes into a film & you can already tell its a Big Flop,or even is somewhat decent yet is maybe even predictable...We have all been there,& have seen these types of movies to where even you find yourself watching a flick thinking over & over "Maybe it'll get better soon...maybe it'll get better soon...",but didn't because next thing ya know it over,or it's just that bad you don't even bother to finish the movie.I've definitely had my fill of badly executed(literally)films where if in the right hands &maybe budget also was higher,it'd have a better overall rating w/reviews too,because the summary and story line of the film is a good one,buts sadly made.All that being said,I hope my reviews of some help without giving away any spoilers,&that others give it a try!!!.
Open Grave stands on it's own by the virtue of it's ability to deliver a suspenseful story which starts as a murder mystery and then evolves into a completely different beast while at the same time pitting the stripped personality of central characters against their primal instincts- all set against a very bleak and rather increasingly strange background and no one has a clue as to what will happen next.
The story that Open Grave tells is certainly macabre or at least the treatment is, which I must say is handled rather very well.If you are not too nit-picky about revealing accents, as some reviewers are, and like a good story with some very good acting, writing, cinematography, and a slow and steady buildup with a decent payoff then this movie is for you.
i would recommend it because you will get a good movie experience after watching it as it has a gripping story,good actors,it has a complex plot but by the end all pieces the put beautifully in their respective place.hope you will like it and enjoy as i did..
Spanish director Gonzalo López-Gallego offers lots of style and suspense, as John played excellent by Sharlto Copley and the other characters suffering from memory loss piece together what going on with virus infected people attacking at any given moment.
Seems like a movie written from the end to the beginning.No real character development.
Well, those viewers must have watched a completely different movie to what I did because these elements were lacking just as much as the rest of the film.The cast, for the main part, was OK, and I think Copley is a pretty excellent actor, but even he couldn't save this and for me his American accent put me off as well.
Sadly, this one doesn't have a great directing and a poorly written screenplay.Open Grave have some plot holes and lacks in character development with unnecessary and confuse dialogs.One thing that bothered me a lot in this one is that (like in many other horror movies) the characters don't seems to show any big worries about the situation they're in.
They wake up with no memory, in the middle of nowhere with a pit of dead bodies and none of them seems to freak out.And the mute Asian girl, the key to everything, doesn't know a single word in English so she can help the rest of the group to figure out what is going on.Despite all this, the movie have good moments and a great twist at the end..
Driver licenses let the people know their names, but they remember nothing else.The film doesn't do a great job of dropping clues, but by 55 minutes into the film, you get a better idea what is happening, but it isn't until the end all is revealed.I liked the opening scene.
It's only right at the end that you finally figure out what's going on and it all makes sense.The film starts off quite remarkably, with likable lead Sharlto Copley (DISTRICT 9) waking up in a pit full of dead bodies.
With no real expectations going into it, I was more than pleasantly surprised with "Open Grave." The story was just awesome and it kept me hooked the entire time, the performances are strong all around and the ending is just fantastic!
Wow, that sounds mysterious on my part but I don't want to give too much away.With no real expectations for the film, "Open Grave" proved to be a great horror/thriller with Sharlto Copley leading the way tremendously.
I will say I have liked a whole lot of horror movies that have been rated as low as I have rated this one, and was heck of a lot better than this one.I guess the ones that think this one was great are zombies too.