Undocumented (2010)

Thanks for the memories!

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

A small group of documentary filmmakers chronicle the trials and inequities faced by Mexican illegal immigrants. When they join a group of families illegally crossing the border to record the experience firsthand, their truck is pulled over and detained. What happens next plunges their group into unimaginable horror.......So the basic premise is simple, Mexicans try and cross the border into USA, and some make it, some get sent back, and others get caught by Peter Stormare and his masked henchman.And if you get caught by the latter, you spend the rest of the film either getting tortured, questioned, or put in a room that looks really comfortable.It's a sound idea, but it would have been a lot more convincing if this was full on found footage horror, not half and half like it is here. The film tries to be topical, tries to send a message of everyone is equal no matter who they are etc., but alas, it turns into torture porn, and spoils its good intentions.The cast are okay, but they spend the entire movie panicking, in pain, or giving their captors a little bit of attitude before they in turn, act nice before torturing them.And that's literally the film, a good idea, but it plays it too safe and goes down the normal horror route.

The idea behind undocumented is truly terrifying. It would not surprise me to find that something similar to this goes on near the US border. However, as a film it is just a run-of-the-mill average torture-porn.This film won't win any awards for creativity, writing, or acting. But for those who just want to watch a gory flick that appeals to your sense of empathy it does deliver. The gore is believable and there are plenty of gut-wrenching emotional scenes.This isn't a thinking film. You won't come out of it scratching your head, ready to discuss its deeper implications. But it has more heart than your average slasher film.Avid horror fans will not be impressed, but it's not a bad flick for the average film-going Joe.

I noted that this movie got a 7.1 and thought it sounded interesting. However after about 40 minutes or so I began to have my suspicions. In reality after watching it I now know that I was duped. The other reviewer who guessed the movie's production crew must have been the ones who voted is on the right path. At best this movie is a 'nothing else on not even a re-run of a movie I only kinda want to watch". It's not terrible but it's 100% predictable. There are no brain cells required to watch it. In fact my sore head hurts more now than it has suffered this movie. The characters are completely transparent, as are any twists (oh wait there aren't any at all) and the plot is rather obvious. The violence is needless and without any menace so doesn't serve the plot at all. I guess the central message gets through. If you want to fuel your hatred of rednecks then this movie is for you.

I could not take my eyes off of the screen. The plot and performances were all top notch. My heart was racing through the entire movie and for long after. The story was totally believable and I felt sucked into the movie. This movie brings out the hero in you. Without giving anything away, it made you walk out of the theater thinking ... If I was in that situation, then I would have ____ (fill in the blank with something heroic). Many parts of the movie were very difficult to watch, yet I could not take my eyes off of the screen. This movie is a must see for anyone that likes Thrillers. It's not for weak stomachs. Scott Mechlowicz was amazing in the movie. This was his best performance yet.