I went in expecting to see another "The Hills Have Eyes" or "Wrong Turn." I was pleasantly surprised and mistaken. The character development was great. Burt Reynolds plays a perfect conspiracy theorist-end of the world-survivalist and John Voight is a perfect character foil. He is a successful businessman with a beautiful wife and son and a perfect life. Both Burt's and John's character arcs are interesting and unexpected. John becomes the underdog-hero and Burt becomes the victim. And let's not overlook unforgettable performances by Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox.
The story development is what really took me by surprise. As I said before, I was expecting another story about some guys fighting disfigured people in unfamiliar territory. The story, however, was more about four men fighting for survival when modern society has been stripped from them. The two "hillbillies" were simply the catalyst to set the events in motion.
The only reason I give this a 7/10 instead of a 9/10 is because of one scene. The cinematography was consistently beautiful throughout the film, except the scene they shot day for night. I understand they didn't have film stock or lenses that would shoot in low light levels and they had to make do with what they could. However, it was so distracting in some parts that it completely took me out of the moment and I was only able settle back in several minutes after the scene was over.
All in all, it was a fantastic film that shouldn't be missed.
The story development is what really took me by surprise. As I said before, I was expecting another story about some guys fighting disfigured people in unfamiliar territory. The story, however, was more about four men fighting for survival when modern society has been stripped from them. The two "hillbillies" were simply the catalyst to set the events in motion.
The only reason I give this a 7/10 instead of a 9/10 is because of one scene. The cinematography was consistently beautiful throughout the film, except the scene they shot day for night. I understand they didn't have film stock or lenses that would shoot in low light levels and they had to make do with what they could. However, it was so distracting in some parts that it completely took me out of the moment and I was only able settle back in several minutes after the scene was over.
All in all, it was a fantastic film that shouldn't be missed.