Return in Red (2007)

Nice effects though.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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

While the general theme of secret experiments conducted on the public may seem appealing to some viewers, "Return in Red" hardly seems to do the idea any credit.I am not going to argue that the acting or cinematography was sub-par; you don't really need name actors or a million dollar budget do create a great film. However, one thing is essential is a plot that is logical, reasonable and understandable.There were a few good aspects of the film. The dreariness of the film's visual style blended nicely with the constant sound of the wind in exterior scenes; together, they nicely enhance the feeling of isolation leading to helplessness. However, a film must be about more than setting.Good films have dialogue; even the old silent films still had character interactions and a plot that you could follow. Sadly, this film often neglected both. Too many scenes had little more than people quietly walking around. There is little about the relationships between people that seem hard pressed to display anything more than wooden sullenness.Even the supposed theme of government experiments is highly questionable. You never see anything of the experimenters except for a van, some piece of electrical hardware, and a black-clothed gloved arm that grabs people. You never see or hear anything about motivation, except for someone calling-in to a radio talk show at the film's end with a claim about government experiments. While it might be what happened, there is nothing here that justifies that.There are too many unexplained events as well. One character has a dream that foreshadows events, but is never explained. Is she supposed to be psychic or was it some amazing coincidence? The two people at the end supposed to be immune to the experiment's effects? Nothing is explained.Given the lack of information, the lack of character dialogue, and the lack of reasonable explanations of motives, I'd have to say that this film generally also lacks any value.

This movie is one i think is rare, it does what most big Hollywood films won't dare to do, and that's implement the gobernment in a scheme to use invisible waves through technology to induce or disrupt certain mental states. If you didn't know the film was made in 2007, you'd think this was a 70's, early 80's film because of the acting style, dialog, timing, film grain, director of photography's style, and it pulls it off flawlessly. The movie isn't action packed, and gore in every other scene, but it is nice and creepy! This is the new breed of zombie films, one where the zombies are a result of a government conspiracy to control and manipulate consciousness of the brain in order to...whatever...The film was shot on a shoestring budget, and I think is highly under rated, and if you're not a b-rate, cheesy, horror flick fan, this movie isn't for you.If your a fan of the zombie film genre, check it out...what's worse than becoming a zombie, not by a bite, but by sound-waves, and going nuts and killing everything, and everyone in site, and not remembering a damn thing when you are de-zombiphied! Like they say in the dark closets of Hollywood, "Film makers use lies to tell the truth" Check it out!

I give it a half n half because despite the great acting and atmospherics, I kinda felt put off. I mean, that rural town and it's people were NICE. There were no bad people who you felt should "Get whacked". No Philandering husband. No venal prostitutes. No crooked sheriff. Just hardworking, ordinary likable folks. So the ending just left me angry and unhappy and puzzled. If you like monsters or monstrous people and events like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you may like this. But if you don't like hopeless secret governmental conspiracy plots, the movie may leave you with a bad taste.

This is the way horror oughta be! Reminiscent of the style of horror movies done in the early 1970s such as the original "The Hills Have Eyes", this eerie, disturbingly-realistic portrait of a secret government experiment performed on an average small American town and its unwitting townsfolk will have you peering out your window at any suspicious vehicle lurking about. With a relatively unknown cast and an obvious shoestring budget, the director of this movie knows what it takes to creatively construct a sinister atmosphere within an everyday, common setting and hold your attention. The acting is well above-average for such an inexperienced cast and they are able to pull their roles off most convincingly. Shot in northern Indiana, the bleak winter landscapes add an unsettling feel to the overall mood. At the risk of letting any spoilers out of the bag, let's just say I was mesmerized throughout the first 3/4 of the film and found myself jumping at every little noise. While the last 1/4 of the movie does end up relying on cheap special effects, the majority of the film is very creepy and sure to satisfy most sci-fi/horror buffs. 8 stars.