Shuttle
2/4
Starring: Peyton List, Tony Curran, Cameron Goodman, Dave Power, James Snyder, Cullen Douglas
Rated R for Strong Violence, Terror, Language and Brief Nudity
"Shuttle" aspires to be something more than a common horror film. The final scenes are bleak and sad because they are so real (in a very general way). But is that the right way to end a movie that features many horror cliches, such as characters doing stupid things and not hitting the bad guy when he's down? I don't think so. It's an effective ending, but in the wrong movie.
Mel (List) and Jules (Goodman) have been best friends for years. They have just gotten back from a trip to Mexico when Mel drops the ball that she broke off her engagement. Needing a ride home, they are ditched by one shuttle but offered a ride by another man who says he'll take them for half the price of the first one. Also along for the ride are Seth (Snyder), a horny 20-something who saw them in a bar in Mexico and tries to hit on Mel, and Matt (Power), his handsome best friend, and a meek accountant named Andy (Douglas). It soon turns out that the driver (Curran) has something different in store for his passengers than mere transportation.
Characters doing stupid things in horror movies is not new. The genre relies on it. But rarely has it been so obvious than in "Shuttle." For one thing, the characters plot and assess their situation within earshot of the driver and don't even bother to quiet their voices. There are also plenty of opportunities to seize control of the van, or keep it, but they don't. While the skills of Edward Anderson as a director lend a definite tension to the proceedings, the lack of intelligence in his script is glaringly obvious on a fairly consistent basis. I'll admit that I was surprised a time or two in this film, but usually I was rolling my eyes.
The performances are good, even if they are cliches. Mel is the resourceful heroine, Jules is her blond BFF that needs to be saved repeatedly, Seth is the lothario who will hit on anything possessing the right body parts, Matt is the sensitive guy who may be just what the vulnerable Mel needs, and Andy is the older nerd who is present probably to be the first one to fill a body bag so they can show his resolve. The actors, especially Peyton List, are good, although Tony Curran leaves something to be desired as the villain. He's not all that frightening.
The film looks like a horror film; the cinematography by Michael Fimognari is bleak and sinister, and the film is well-paced. Unfortunately, it's undone by the utter lack of intelligence in the script. No serious film, even a horror film, can survive such lapses in common sense.
Starring: Peyton List, Tony Curran, Cameron Goodman, Dave Power, James Snyder, Cullen Douglas
Rated R for Strong Violence, Terror, Language and Brief Nudity
"Shuttle" aspires to be something more than a common horror film. The final scenes are bleak and sad because they are so real (in a very general way). But is that the right way to end a movie that features many horror cliches, such as characters doing stupid things and not hitting the bad guy when he's down? I don't think so. It's an effective ending, but in the wrong movie.
Mel (List) and Jules (Goodman) have been best friends for years. They have just gotten back from a trip to Mexico when Mel drops the ball that she broke off her engagement. Needing a ride home, they are ditched by one shuttle but offered a ride by another man who says he'll take them for half the price of the first one. Also along for the ride are Seth (Snyder), a horny 20-something who saw them in a bar in Mexico and tries to hit on Mel, and Matt (Power), his handsome best friend, and a meek accountant named Andy (Douglas). It soon turns out that the driver (Curran) has something different in store for his passengers than mere transportation.
Characters doing stupid things in horror movies is not new. The genre relies on it. But rarely has it been so obvious than in "Shuttle." For one thing, the characters plot and assess their situation within earshot of the driver and don't even bother to quiet their voices. There are also plenty of opportunities to seize control of the van, or keep it, but they don't. While the skills of Edward Anderson as a director lend a definite tension to the proceedings, the lack of intelligence in his script is glaringly obvious on a fairly consistent basis. I'll admit that I was surprised a time or two in this film, but usually I was rolling my eyes.
The performances are good, even if they are cliches. Mel is the resourceful heroine, Jules is her blond BFF that needs to be saved repeatedly, Seth is the lothario who will hit on anything possessing the right body parts, Matt is the sensitive guy who may be just what the vulnerable Mel needs, and Andy is the older nerd who is present probably to be the first one to fill a body bag so they can show his resolve. The actors, especially Peyton List, are good, although Tony Curran leaves something to be desired as the villain. He's not all that frightening.
The film looks like a horror film; the cinematography by Michael Fimognari is bleak and sinister, and the film is well-paced. Unfortunately, it's undone by the utter lack of intelligence in the script. No serious film, even a horror film, can survive such lapses in common sense.
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