Hrs movie review (2010)

In Jonathan Glendening's latest film, Sarah Tyler returns to her troubled family home in the isolated countryside, for a much put-off visit. As a storm rages outside, Sarah, her family and friends shore up for the night, cut off from the outside world. But something comes out of the driving rain and darkness. Something that holds a dark secret so devastating that, in one night, it could wipe out the entire family. "13Hrs" starts out promising but eventually begins to unravel, only to end disappointingly anti-climactic. Actually, it could have been a fairly decent horror flick, if the conclusion wasn't so ridiculous. It's pretty intense most of the time, simply because neither the characters nor the audience know till the very last moment what creature is haunting them. There are some really thrilling and frightening scenes, that are effective and a total 'chill givers'. "13Hrs" is also utterly claustrophobic, not only because it's shot in a creepy isolated house in a small town, but also because the characters hide themselves in a pitch black attic and super-tight tunnels. Sadly, plot grows weaker as the film progresses, and the ending, while completely unexpected, is such a let down, it almost ruins the entire movie. The acting is sub-par, with the exception of Isabella Calthorpe as the main protagonist, Sarah Tyler, who turns in a very decent performance. The rest of the characters are mostly one-dimensional and pretty unlikable. The low budget is more than obvious, as "13Hrs" lacking in production values, and yet the special effects are somewhat passable. Overall, "13Hrs" is watchable and fairly intense, but as an overall experience it leaves much to be desired.