Repeaters

Plot synopsis:
Kyle Halsted, Sonia Logan, and Michael Weeks are inmates at a rehabilitation facility. Bob Simpson, the administrator, tasks them with apologizing to those they have hurt with their addiction. When Kyle attempts to apologize to his younger sister Charlotte, she angrily blows him off, and the principal kicks him off school grounds. Sonia goes to the hospital where her dying father is a patient, but she is unable to bring herself to face him. Michael visits his father in jail, but the conversation is cut short by his father's abusive threats. When Bob tries to get them to discuss their day in group therapy, they refuse, and Michael storms off. Later, while discussing the pointlessness of Bob's therapy, Sonia is told that her father has died. As the trio try to deal with their emotional pain, a storm rolls in, and each of them is shocked and knocked unconscious.
When they wake up the next morning, the events of the previous day repeat. Kyle, Sonia, and Michael stumble through the day and repeat their actions in a daze. When they discuss the situation, Michael is intrigued by the consequence-free possibilities open to them, but Kyle convinces them to act on a news report that he recalls. They go to the dam but are too late to stop a jumper. Michael suggests that they take advantage of the situation, and they commit petty crimes that result in a stay at jail. Eventually, as the day repeats endlessly, they embark on a drug bender and crime spree that culminates in the violent kidnapping of a drug dealer who has been selling to Charlotte. At the dam, Michael carelessly risks his life walking on top of the railing and dares Sonia to do the same. When she slips, Michael merely laughs and refuses to try to help Kyle save her. Sonia falls to her death, though she wakes up with a gasp the next morning. Sonia claims to remember nothing of her death, and the trio become emboldened by their apparent immortality.
The next day, as Kyle and Sonia save the jumper at the dam, they discover that Michael has raped one of Charlotte's friends. When Kyle and Sonia confront Michael, Michael accuses them of hypocrisy and says that his actions are excusable because everything will become reset the next day. Michael's behavior becomes more violent and antisocial as the days repeat. Shaken by Michael's behavior, Kyle ambushes him and ties him to a chair. Kyle and Sonia fall in love and work toward redemption, but Michael laughs at Kyle; he claims that Sonia's story of childhood sexual abuse is just an act. However, when Kyle and Sonia successfully make peace with their pasts, the time loop abruptly ends, but Michael does not realize it until the middle of a violent rampage that ends with the senseless murders of two people. Freaked out, Michael takes Charlotte hostage, but he commits suicide after Kyle attempts to reason with him. In the last scene, Michael wakes up again, stuck in his own time loop.

Tags: violence

Review:
Yes, it is impossible to talk about Repeaters without mentioning Groundhog Day - a charming family film where a sardonic Bill Murray has to relive the same dull day again and again until he can find a way of somehow - literally - moving his life forwards.Groundhog Day was a happy-go-lucky sort of affair, filled with light-hearted 'what if' scenarios.
However, the results are far from Groundhog-like.This time there are three central characters who keep reliving the same day and they're all in a recovery centre, trying to get over various addictions.
It covers pretty much all the nastiest adult themes you can think of, so, if you're looking for a 'feel-good' kind of movie, you better steer clear.Bottom line: Groundhog Day + comedy = Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day + action = Source Code, whereas Groundhog Day and nastiness = Repeaters.
The cast and crew of this film know what it takes to make an interesting movie.
I did not realize this until after I watched the movie and then checked out the movie's details on IMDb. Repeaters' repeating theme is sort of another take on Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray and though this duplication takes away from any claim Repeaters could have to originality the two movies are totally different in plot and genre.
In other words Repeaters has the ability to entrance an audience and so thereby can be appreciated as a good, reasonable piece of movie entertainment.
Repeaters contains numerous film school conventions and setups -- pretty shots with shallow depth of field while characters say things that sound profound but are meaningless.
While admittedly most movies drawn up these days use a bit of the same sleazy concepts, this one I believe nestles down into its own unique little fortified holding and fires upon the viewer with a quality helping of raw..
But he's young so maybe he'll come around one day.Amanda Crew tries, but doesn't have that interesting of a character either.
I really don't want to say much about this one.It was boring, and it never went anywhere with some preposterous twists and really not any character to root for.This was irritating at best, no explanation as to the supernatural occurrence, i guess is sort of a metaphor for people who are repeaters, and the way they live, which is so shallow that it's really just laughable.Seriously, the ratings for this movie are way to high.
The acting is of a reasonable standard, but just short of the bar such that we don't believe the characters enough to really feel any of their emotions.The story distinguishes itself from groundhog day in its pursuit of a thrilling, rather than funny series of events, for the most-part at least.
Suddenly the antagonist would make an appearance like the villain in a pantomime play and more silliness would ensue.Watchable with a new aspect on the groundhog day concept, don't expect more..
Luckily this movie gets to the darker groundhogs day that some people may have been thinking about the whole time.
This is one of those films where I'm sure it sounded good while the producers and directors were discussing the general concept, but once it came time to actually shoot scenes and compile a film, it just didn't quite come together.That's what Repeaters is, in my humble opinion.Maybe as a sci-fi thriller novel, this could have worked, but trying to convey this story into a film experience just comes off as being absurdly confusing, and for the most part, not even a slim chance of visualizing this story as somehow being plausible.Sorry .
(That's a message to the writers.)It's not blowing anything to say this is basically an attempt at a dark version of the same concept from Ground Hog Day. That's all contained in the synopsis and the pre-release blerb.Or, if you want some serious physics: its a portrayal of the effects of Closed Timelike Curves - an Einsteinian concept.But let's face it, it's a simple, childhood daydream, and therefore an archetypal idea: what if the same day repeated ad-infinitum?I used to dismiss Ground Hog Day as a slightly better than average Hollywood comedy, though my love for Bill Murray has grown and grown over the years (The Life Aquatic is now a film I proudly own).But the more I have gone back and looked at Ground Hog Day, the more it has improved.
And it manages to be inspiring, and cunningly the writers have left the ending open: you can interpret it in some kind of religious/spiritual ooga-booga way, or you can take it that it's just the result of the protagonist's careful planning - he had time to think the whole thing right through, after all.And this brings us to the issue with Repeaters.
Instead, we find ourselves passing endlessly through Mediocrity, Writing Needs Work, and Lost Our Whiteboard, again and again.Several things irritated me - characters being pussies when they should have charged into the fray (and would have, if they'd had all the time in the world to map out the consequences; there are a LOT of things I would have added, or treated differently) - lack of intellectual support (plot could have been quite ingenious, but ended up not: this is a puzzle-trap after all) - and a really stupid plot-hole, introduced by the writers finally trying to be CLEVER (and instead delivering messed up, gluggy short-hand that garbles the message), that has been the subject of great debate on the IMDb forums.But, having said all that, what about enjoyment?
This film isn't another Groundhog Day.It isn't another comedy take on getting things right before you can move on.
Oh and it doesn't do character study very well but perhaps it didn't try very hard.The premise is three drug addicts in rehab who, during an electric storm are shocked into the repetition of a day which didn't work out very well for any of them: Kyle cannot talk to his sister, Sonia cannot talk to her father in hospital and Michael does, kind of, talk to his Dad in prison, a bad move.
And so three people with three reasons underlying their actions get to act out a repetition of this nemesis in affairs, and from here personalities and camaraderie battle out what to do with this "gift" or "curse".As in Groundhog Day obvious benefits are exploited from the off, but in this case there is no easily identifiable target goal for this trinity to focus on.
But darkness returns and original ideas are conspicuous by their absence which is a shame.Fortunately this film is still entertaining and watchable up to the last but I do feel those involved missed a chance to make it even better.Seven out of ten (mainly for acting by the leads - Milligan, Crewe and de Klerk)..
Movies like Repeaters, are why I watch independent films.
I had not seen Groundhod Day at the time).OK, moving along!Repeaters is pretty much the same premise as Groundhog Day, like I said, but much darker.
Three "twenty-somethings" find out just how life changing a repeated second chance is in this brilliant little film from Canada.Written by Arne Olsen (Relic Hunter, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie) and directed by Carl Bessai (Severed, Normal) Repeaters is the story of three inmates of a drug rehabilitation centre in Mission City.
Kyle Halstead (Dustin Milligan), Sonia Logan (Amanda Crew) and Michael Weeks (Richard De Clerk) all hang out together and one event filled day they become caught in a time warp that results in them re-living that day repeatedly.The combination of great story-line and great performances by the lead actors made this spontaneous purchase of an 8 pound DVD turn into a real gem of a film.The publicity/marketing for the film states that the film is like Taken meets Groundhog Day. Now that sounds good, but in my humble opinion the film is more like Groundhog Day meets Flatliners.My only real problem with the film was the lead actors resemblance's to other actors and (in one case) to one of my first cousins.
Unfortunately, the two male characters had more of a story arch than the female lead, but despite the slight annoyance of this fact the film still delivered a pretty impressive punch.There is not a whole lot of information available on this 2010 Canadian independent film, but they do still have a website: Repeaters.If you get a chance, check this film out.
This movie explores one of the most intriguing premises: what if today was to repeat itself indefinitely, and you had the freedom to do what you want and remember everything you did and what happened, every time the day repeated itself?
And this is particularly important when the story includes many very interesting ideas such as the duration of the time loop, what if it's infinite, what happens if it ends, how will you know, death and time, does what you do have any effect on the "real" time line, and, come to think of it, which one is the "real" time line.
It's not easy to understand what happens in recovery from addictions and this is a psychological portrait of how people deal when faced with confronting their own demons and taking responsibility for their actions.If you like to think about psychology- you'll enjoy this movie.
I thought they could have gone deeper with the purgatory idea - especially the day after Sonia comes back the first time.
This movie tries to take the 'Groundhog Day' idea into darker territory, with three recovering drug-addicts in rehab getting to live a bad day over and over again, until, presumably, they get something right.Besides the dark edge, this movie also promises interesting developments by having three friends go through it together in different ways.
The third, however, seeing the endless hate his father has for him, decides to give up and give in to the dark side of his insecurities, and turns to a nihilistic life of brutal crime, since there are no consequences to his actions anyways.So it starts becoming interesting, and in a sense, they become god-like beings that can get away with anything, except that the more conscience-laden duo now also have a 'super-villain' on their hands to deal with, while the regular world suffers the consequences.But then it stops being interesting, fizzles out, and just ends.Their attempts at stopping him never become creative (for example, they don't even bother finding out who starts their day first by a few seconds, thus giving that person a slight edge).
The development of the bad guy is way too fast and extreme - it could have worked if they had to repeat a hundred times or so, but to turn into a suicidal-rapist-murderer within 3-4 days is a bit much.
People who do drugs, obviously (so sayeth the movie) make bad decisions and are bad people.I bet they show this film in rehab a lot just like they make people watch "doing time on maple drive" cause I've been staff in rehab and trust me, they make you watch some pretty lousy don't do drugs movies...This film is not a mind bending thriller...its a movie about people who made crap decisions with their lives , ended up at a rehab center, somehow without explanation got the power to reliver the same day over and over again, and still made BAD DECISIONS throughout the film , so, moral of the story...bad people, do bad things, because they are bad.
Each one of them has issues: Kyle sees his younger sister sliding down the same road he went, Sonia was abused by her father who will die that day, but whom she still needs to say goodbye too, and Michael, whose dad is in jail because of him, and doesn't want to talk to him.
While in the beginning they enjoy the freedom this repeating day gives, they all follow their own path in the end.The comparison with Groundhog Day, a movie with a similar idea, is quickly made.
It's not about the idea of repeating days, but about the way people interact in such a condition.
If you are just interested by the idea of repeating days and what you would do with it, better watch Groundhog Day..
Repeaters is really well made and introduces us to some great new actors who do a fine job, but nevertheless it ends up being a rather long 90 minutes as this twisted version of Groundhog Day doesn't really take advantage of the opportunities but instead resorts to typical psycho horror with a lot of spaghetti sauce flying out of people's backs and splashing on the walls.
Instead of a TV news reporter, it's a group of three troubled youth who get caught in a time loop, at first going on rampages in order to take advantage of the lack of consequences their situation affords, but then two of them struggle with the moral issues and want to find a way out of the repeating day, as their friend goes nuts and decides to be as evil as he can because it will all be erased when he wakes up to the same morning again.
Repeaters is an okay movie, it just goes on a little too long and doesn't offer any great twist at the end..
You continue to show just how bad a human being you are until the day stops repeating and normality returns.There, I've saved you 90 minutes of your life.This deliberately drab, depressing film, takes the Groundhog Day premise and crams as much sadness into one day as possible - nothing good ever comes from the protagonists actions.
...director/cinematographer Carl "Emile" Bessai's "Repeaters" is likely Arne "Red Scorpion" Olsen's best screenplay, which may or may not be saying much, given that the story is basically a riff on the Harold Ramis classic, "Groundhog Day." This incarnation (unsubtle allusion intended) follows three young addicts in rehab as they find themselves reliving one day over and over again no matter what they do.
She sort of looks like Jennifer Love-Hewitt if Jen had a makeover.I am not sure whether the makers of this film hoped that enough time had passed since the said Bill Murray comedy, hoping that audiences had long forgotten about that film, or whether they merely wanted to give an already done-before premise a thriller slant while not feeling ashamed that they were using an old premise.
The other two indulge him at first, but then to Mike's dismay want to seek a path of forgiveness and redemption.Unfortunately I have seen Groundhog Day so the repeat aspect got old real fast.
A time loop where people live the same day, over and over again.12.01 was excellent.
Ground Hog Day was with Bill Murray contained his dry humour, was very good.But this poor excuse??????????.I cannot understand why this film got any positive reviews at all.?????Foul language and moronic scenes of younger people doing moronic things because they know they will get away with it due to re- living everyday the same.And that was this film.I was hoping for an intelligent script, no chance.Anybody with half a brain stay away from this movie..
I know time travel/loop movies are impossible to make real, but when they KNOW it's the THIRD day they say and do the same stuff.
A Canadian flick that repeats Groundhog Day, but just not as well.
Threatening them, forcing them to do things they don't want to do, and insults them, and their 'little relationship'.In the end, these three young twenty-something adults know they have to redeem themselves, but the same day just keeps on repeating itself, but leading to another thrill-ride of suspense and adventure.
It's like the one mistake you don't want to repeat, keeps on getting interrupted by the repetitive days.
The movie was marvelously well structured, and the next same day just kept on getting better and better.Overall, an awesome dramatic thriller, where you do not want to repeat something, and face consequences afterwards.
The movie starts with a 3 drug addicts in rehabilitation center, who struck by lightning after spending their first day out.
In my opinion the movie was pretty decent there was curiosity what will happen next plus the change of dynamics between three characters going through "Repeaters" was interesting.
I have seen other time repeating movies, and they were more comedies.
It is your decision if you want to live in the moral squalor you made, or make your environment better.I know this review was personal, but it is always good to have personal message from a movie.For sum it up: I might watch it once more.
That's Groundhog Day!" Well as someone who watched the movie - While I can see a lot of backing for that, it's less of a rip-off and more of a reworking of the premise to instead of being some quirky comedy with heart to instead be darker and some kind of symbolization of the life of a junkie.Okay so the premise, Three junkies in rehab are shocked electrically one night and repeat the same day over and over.
They really pull through good performances in the movie and I will certainly be looking for more stuff that these people have been in.
I just felt a kind of "That's it?" vibe from it because I know it symbolizes the life of a junkie and how it's a new day and they are improving their lives but I wouldn't have minded seeing them still do some good for other people like trying to stop that girl from jumping off the dam again.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who can accept this as it's own unique thing without drawing any references to Groundhog Day..
The film opens with the quote 'Dont wait for the last judgement, it happens everyday' - IE its not about the end result but the journey in getting there.Other Opinion: After the accident, their days repeated for the reasons above - until wrongs acknowledged and put right.