Driftwood (2006)

Excellent adaptation.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

I really don't understand why people bashed this movie. Perhaps it wasn't a huge budget and not a huge amount of special effects. I think over all it was actually a decent movie. Sure it didn't have huge actors that were great but I feel the acting was very good for what they had. Now maybe it could have been better made. Some have criticized it for being unoriginal or formulaic but what is really? Most movies in general are based off another concept that has been done many times before. Not every movie has to be a blockbuster for it to be a good movie in my opinion. Some moments were a little dull and were unbelievable but it wasn't completely unrealistic or unreasonable to just stretch your imagination some. After all its just a movie.

David's brother's overdose caused the young man to produce blogs about suicidal thoughts which gets him sent by his worried parents to a boy's institution ruled with nasty authority by "The Captain"(Diamond Dallas Page). A restless spirit lurks about and it could have something to do with a "gauntlet" ritual where The Captain sends a boy to be punished through a rigorous series of obstacles while throttled with clubs by the young men of his ward. The Captain's own nephew, it seems, come up missing while in the middle of an attempted escape due to the swamp which surround Driftwood. Meanwhile, David(Ricky Ullman) must endure constant scrutiny and harassment at the hands of not only the Captain but his staff and the boys of the ward. Uncovering the reason behind the ghost he continues to see could be David's chance to expose the Captain and his corrupt leadership. DRIFTWOOD reminded me of many of the Asian "Onyro" flicks where a past incident, a covered up crime, produces a spirit of the victimized seeking peace through the downfall of the killer(s). The movie introduces us to a protagonist who will help the spirit find retribution. Diamond Dallas Page uses a Southern accent and knows how to play menacing slime. We know the moment Page's Captain first appears on screen he's not Mr. Goody Two Shoes. Through David's experiences, we get a first hand look at how Driftwood is operated. Page has the kind of grin that contains all kinds of sinister behind it. Tame compared to something like BAD BOYS, DRIFTWOOD shows troubled youth further tainted by a despicable leader who takes advantage of their difficult pasts to fulfill his own agenda of control. You can often spot Jeremy Lelliot(as tormented homosexual Noah, the only ally David seems to have)in low budget horror or on television. Baelyn Neff is Captain's sexy daughter Myra, whose seductive nature can be very helpful as an informant for pops. Ullman spends most of his time morose and sullen. Director Sullivan is probably best known for 2001 MANIACS, starring Robert Englund.

I was a little apprehensive when I first saw the preview for this movie but it turned out to worth watching. David Forrester (Ricky Ullman) becomes obsessed with death after the over dose death of his rock star brother. His parents decide he needs to be a Driftwood a facility that is supposed to keep him out of Jail and straighten him out. In Driftwood He meets the usual cast of Characters The gangsta, the Ladies man, etc. He also meets Johnathan, a ghost who has a secret that could save them all.The acting is a questionable at times but is due to many characters being one-dimensional stock characters. We learn during the movie David does not have a good relationship with his parent, and has unresolved guilt over his brothers death. We also learn Noah (Jeremy Lelliot) is here for being gay something the camp is supposed to cure you of. We also learn Noah and Jonathan were friends and he also wants his murder solved. It has a complete ending unlike some horror movies.I wish they had spent more time on the dynamics of the relationships, and fewer 2 one-dimensional character otherwise it is worth watching. I think Ricky Ullman's acting is good, though his innocent look makes it difficult to see him as the brooding troubled teen (Remember this is Phil of the future from Disney). Diamond Dallas Paige gives a good performance as the greedy, sadistic warden of the facility, and Jeremy Lelliot is a bit underutilized as Noah.

Driftwood is probably the first indie horror movie for teens! The pacing of the film, coupled with the rock music found in each scene, will remind you of a theatrical release with a 12- to 18-year-old target market in mind. That would stick if there weren't a whole lot of cursing. Does that make it PG-13? When we discussed the film with director Tim Sullivan, he did drop the title The Outsiders from time to time, comparing his crew of boys to the now classic film cast. The comparison is definitely fair as the Driftwood crew deliver stellar performances that kept me in the moment by raising the level of reality every time they uttered a word. It's challenging enough to come up with a group of characters who are different enough to be individuals yet bond, however slightly, over a common situation. That is just step one. Next you have to cast people that can act for it to all be believable.Driftwood is one part Holes, one part Cool Hand Luke, with a little dash of Stir of Echoes thrown in. The characters are engaging enough to make the time fly by. Tim Sullivan presents a story of desperation wrapped around a study in fear, whether that fear is of a physically imposing authority figure or a supernatural being. The walls of Driftwood hold more than one dark secret, but revealing them could mean the death to all who know. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.Be sure to watch out for Driftwood when it comes to your town during its limited release and support well written, well executed independent movies! We need a lot more like them.