So, this isn't a great movie, but it's solid. I give it a 7.5 (rounded up to 8) for a few reasons ("soft" spoilers):
It's got heart. Lots of good, affirming messages and you really care for some of the characters.
Solid performances. Bacon is good as always, but so are all the main actors/actresses; I hope we see more from some of these young talents. (Chlumsky has some good moments too).
Originality. As far as I know, this is the 1st summer camp horror/suspense/slasher movie done in this particular way with these particular characters. It's very timely and relevant.
This is more of a suspense/thriller than slasher or horror movie. In that sense, the main tension in the plot derives from a "what's going on? When will all be fully revealed?" type of narrative. And there are some good twists, though I did see the major one coming about 3/4 of the way through (though I wasn't totally sure until it did manifest).
My only real major criticism isn't really even a fair one as it has to do with the budget/production which is just adequate. But that's to be expected for the type of movie this is.
A more minor criticism is that this lacks some "action"; but it's far from boring or a drama. It just relies more on character driven tension than bodies being piled up (which frankly I find boring: "oh here we go again; another teen alone outside at summer camp, gee I wonder what will happen...yep, now we're seeing him/her through the eyes of the murderer through the branches...gee wonder what will happen...is this murder 8 or 9?).
In the end, give it a try if you're looking for something different (or at least a different twist on an old theme), some emotive performances, some interesting characters you actually care for, and an overall plot that you can invest in and care about what happens.
It's got heart. Lots of good, affirming messages and you really care for some of the characters.
Solid performances. Bacon is good as always, but so are all the main actors/actresses; I hope we see more from some of these young talents. (Chlumsky has some good moments too).
Originality. As far as I know, this is the 1st summer camp horror/suspense/slasher movie done in this particular way with these particular characters. It's very timely and relevant.
This is more of a suspense/thriller than slasher or horror movie. In that sense, the main tension in the plot derives from a "what's going on? When will all be fully revealed?" type of narrative. And there are some good twists, though I did see the major one coming about 3/4 of the way through (though I wasn't totally sure until it did manifest).
My only real major criticism isn't really even a fair one as it has to do with the budget/production which is just adequate. But that's to be expected for the type of movie this is.
A more minor criticism is that this lacks some "action"; but it's far from boring or a drama. It just relies more on character driven tension than bodies being piled up (which frankly I find boring: "oh here we go again; another teen alone outside at summer camp, gee I wonder what will happen...yep, now we're seeing him/her through the eyes of the murderer through the branches...gee wonder what will happen...is this murder 8 or 9?).
In the end, give it a try if you're looking for something different (or at least a different twist on an old theme), some emotive performances, some interesting characters you actually care for, and an overall plot that you can invest in and care about what happens.