The Sky Has Fallen (2009) User Reviews

different and respectable....

[laserbradley23 · 6/10 · 16 August 2009]

Saw this at the horrorfest in Ky and was happy I chose this flick.

It obviously had a minimal budget but it seemed to have a solid story and good acting. The camera quality was good and the "Strangers" in hoods were filmed with eerie perfection.

I enjoyed this much more than most horror because it "Did what it could" and didn't try to be something bigger than it was. It did get a little long winded with dialogue at some points, but it is an indie film and is expected with low budget film-making.

I would like to see this movie remade with a bigger budget, maybe so we could get a more satisfying "ending" and some flashbacks of how the two characters intertwined. But overall, I say it was one of the best at horrorfest.

It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

[snakepaws · 5/10 · 2 March 2013]

The reviews for this film are all over the place.

This was a low-to-no budget indie horror film. Where it doesn't show is in the effects and the score. Both of which are excellent. The audio and visual effects people get a gold star.

The concept of the film is interesting, though it never really pans out. I was left wanting to know more.

The camera-work -- really, the editing, is less than desirable. Mostly the quick cuts to and fro. As another reviewer mentioned, the effects are fantastic, but you only see a few moments before cut-cut-pan-cut.

The writing was good. The acting was acceptable. Some scenes were better than others. A few over-acting moments, and some with not enough depth and emotion. But who are we kidding? The same could be said about Kristen Stewart.

A solid 5, and a great effort from all involved.

Great make-up ruined by, honestly, everything else.

[roguebardmedia · 3/10 · 23 May 2012]

I'll be completely honest, I went into this film expecting it to be a pretty bad. I was not disappointed. I only picked it up because the monster make up looked pretty interesting for a low budget zombie flick. The make up was great when it was on screen, but the shots were so brief in most cases it was hard to really appreciate what was there before it was gone. It's a shame such good make up was squandered by not putting it on screen enough to really sell the rotted and disfigured looks they achieved.

The score was pretty decent as well, with the exception of a few cues that turned quick shocker moments into more comical cheesy cuts. Unfortunately the praise ends there pretty abruptly. The film is essentially a guy and a girl wandering the forest. Sound boring? It is. Painfully so. Then some zombies show up and you're treated to hectic choppy quick cutting action that is jarring to watch and the leads sword swings are so slow it's hard to believe he'd do any real damage to anything.

To top that off the acting was abysmal. Much of the film sounded like they were reciting the dialogue from memory instead of putting any thought or feeling into it. Doesn't help that the dialogue itself was awkward and clunky either. No amount of talented acting would have delivered the lines without them sounding cliché and ponderous.

For all it's flaws it is an interesting twist on the zombie apocalypse genre with some decent camera work and some beautifully disgusting monster make-up. If you're into cheesy horror flicks, and I know there are plenty of you types out there, it's an interesting watch. If you go in with low expectations you should come out okay.

IMDb rating is crap.

[rex-170 · 1/10 · 15 April 2012]

This is not a 6.3 This wouldn't even get a 3. Apart from the fact that i was bored to death within the first 10 minutes, the characters did not appeal one little bit.

She was bland and he was so self absorbed in philosophical BS coupled with ridiculous "black creatures" i nearly wanted to vomit.

Suffice to say this is not a movie i will be returning to watch anytime in the near future.

Even if it was the last DVD on the planet, i would use it as a coffee coaster instead.

The 6.3 and the two other reviews, i believe, have been made by people either directly involved in this film or people who have no taste in films.

I can't believe i was fooled into thinking this might be an OK film.

I now know why there isn't a trailer for this on IMDb.

If there was people would be warned before viewing it.

I'm so angry with myself now.

Bugger it, i was going to give this a 3 but in a fit of anger i'm giving it a 1.

Versus meets The Walking Dead!

[realdarkknight79 · 11 July 2015]

One of my friends suggested this to me. I thought he was nuts but I was quite surprised. It wasn't bad at all.

Story: definitely unique and different. Not just survivors wandering around. They actually have a clear mission: kill the master of these monsters.

Acting: pretty good for an indie. Could've used some more emotion at times.

Cinematography: beautiful. A bit too many closeups but you do get some nice wide shots every once in a while, and regardless, it always looks good.

Special Effects: this is where it really shines. No computer crap. People get dissected, and the zombies look freaking amaze-balls.

Sound: somebody spent some time here. Very detailed. Nothing sounds off or cheap.

Music: like a real Hollywood movie. So much better than most Indies.

So to sum up, I'd give it a go. The effects alone are worth seeing but it has plenty beyond that too.

The Bad Bad Kind

[Tweetienator · 1/10 · 19 February 2016]

If possible I would give that movie a zero... On the other hand the rating of 1 is okay thanks to the gore effects which reminded me a little of the zombie classics of the 70s/80s.

Apart from that EVERYTHING in this movie is just really bad - the acting, the camera, the "plot", and I mean bad bad not that kind of bad that one could be tempted to call cvlt ;)

Of course I didn't watch this movie in whole - the skipping button was well used.

Don't take the IMDb rating of 6,7 serious (at the time of writing that review)- so if you want to waste your time or torture yourself - this movie is meant for you.

Really well done indie horror

[notanothervctm · 8/10 · 25 June 2009]

I saw this at the British Film Fest LA, and despite the fact it was obviously low budget (or no budget), I have to admit I enjoyed the hell out of it. The music is phenomenal, the effects are top notch, and I thought the story was pretty original for a post-apocalyptic scenario. I liked the performances too. I've seen better, but these are light years beyond other drivel like in 13 Seconds, Automaton Transfusion, Open Water, etc. It's not perfect, but I think horror fans will definitely get a kick out of it if you ever get the chance to see it. I guess they're actually doing some more editing on it and some reshoots so I'm really curious to see the final product.

An utterly pointless, uninspired rehash that goes nowhere

[Furrystoat · 1/10 · 12 March 2020]

Are you easily-impressed by gallons upon gallons of obviously-fake Hollywood blood and viscera? Is your idea of a good movie one that features a relentless series of horrific torture deaths? Of pretty girls? Do you enjoy it when a movie doesn't have any more point to it than that? At all? You'll LOVE this film! At no point are we given a chance to get to know any of the characters beyond the very most superficial things; there is no plot other than KILL THEM! and the ending doesn't resolve anything. At all. A waste of time, money and electricity for all concerned. You won't learn anything from this movie, you won't want to see it again.

Gruesome!

[DianaColorsOfTheWind · 9/10 · 22 August 2014]

The story and concept were good and interesting. The movie kept me entertained and invested and I liked the apocalyptic zombie concept. I want to warn though that this movie does not shy away from gore! That is the only reason I am giving it a 9 instead of 10.

I gotta be honest it sicked me out a little bit. Considering it was independent I wasn't expecting to be so grossed out by it. However I am glad it was made and fans of gory zombie movies I think will be really into it. I consider this title ambitious especially for an independent film, but due to it's gruesome nature I just don't think I can rewatch it, but maybe I will.

Soap-Zom

[jjbvv · 1/10 · 12 April 2021]

I have no idea how this film got this rating - even your most noxious soap opera has better dialogue and acting - no cgi - doesn't endear one to the stilted realism where main actors live in the woods but look like they've just stepped out of a shower and into clean clothes.

Simply Boring.

This one really grew on me

[jcairns-468-29228 · 9/10 · 29 December 2017]

This is one of those films that kept me thinking for quite a while after watching it. It was less the story, characters and more the structure of the film i liked. Although there is a through-line to the story, I enjoyed the way it was arranged in vignettes, suddenly cutting to different places where survivors were beset by these very unique zombies and their more unique handlers. Honestly I enjoyed these survivor attack stories more than the main story. Due to this structure, it develops such a dreamlike quality after a while, with a detached sense of time and place.

The effects of the film reminded me so much of the Fulci zombie films. Watching this was like a master class in creating those kinds of gruesome effects. I never got tired of seeing the live action gore and trying to figure out how the special effects artist made them.

At first the dialogue felt too detached and odd, but it gradually grew on me in the same way Hal Hartley's dialogue does. Director-wise it was a cool mash-up of Hartley with extremely gory Fulci spicing up the entire thing. For an indie film the soundtrack was also quite good. The impacts and other sounds were very visceral (pun intended).

Overall I enjoyed this indie film for it's dream-like quality the most, despite the disjointed pacing that comes with most indie films.

Excellent first effort!!!

[discord43 · 7/10 · 24 May 2012]

This is not a great film, but it is very entertaining. It's a first effort from a new indie film maker and as such, is far from perfect. Having said that, I have to say that I was very impressed with the acting of the two principals. Both were very good at what must have been difficult roles for them, and neither are greatly experienced actors. I also liked that the story was not fully explained. A plague, zombies, horrible deaths, something weird happening and that's about all the explanation you get. You never really know what's going on or why these two, and a few others, were immune to whatever it is. A first film, or novel, or short story, is always more of a learning experience than a fully realized endeavor. I know that well from my own writing and my own music as well. This is an excellent first film, and I'm sure that the filmmakers will take what they learned from this, and both positive and negative reviews, and the next film will be even better. For what it is, I do recommend this film. It has heart and it does drag you into the action.

Boring is an Understatement!

[digitalzomby · 1/10 · 21 May 2023]

This movie has to be the most boring piece of wannabe film making I have ever seen. Boring is an understatement for sure.

It is so slow paced and not much happens in between the boring parts.

I give this 1.5 but I will give it a 1 since there is no 1/2 points able to be given. I am a fan of low budget indie films but this is just so bad in every aspect. Any rating over a 3 is definitely a phony rating, don't believe their ratings.

That reviewer who says people didn't understand it if we give it a low rating is totally ridiculous. I understood the story but it is still not very good. Those high ratings, believe me, are fake and probably written by the film crew.

Horror movies, take note.

[mentalcast · 9/10 · 13 October 2015]

I was suggested this movie by its director. Initially, I wanted to view this for a full-fledged review for a pop culture website, but unfortunately did not have the time. However, I have watched the movie, and I've given it a rating of 9/10. With so many movies resorting to CGI as a crutch (not all movies, mind you; movies where effects could be done practically), it is particularly refreshing to see a movie where the effects in it are entirely practical.

The movie is not perfect by any means, but it gets right what it needed to get right. With a bigger budget, this could be a horror movie classic in the making or possibly a sleeper hit. Very happy to see a horror movie that doesn't fall into the old tired zombie/vampire shtick and incorporates elements of different kinds of horror. I highly recommend checking this one out.

Badass practical sfx with surprisingly deep story!

[abbyflower85 · 8/10 · 2 May 2020]

I didn't expect such amazing special effects especially for an indie! Like an 80s gorehound's wet dream. The characters are well developed and sympathetic. The acting could've been better but it makes sense with the PTSD story and the sfx more than make up for it. Anyone who misses practical blood and guts, you got to see it!

Incredible FX!

[badassbonanza · 15 June 2015]

The acting was a little flat sometimes, but the FX were absolutely fantastic! Guts ripped out, sword hit to the face, arm torn off, etc. You have to see it to believe it. It was brutal. I wish there was less talking but I still loved it. It is an indie after all so it's not like they had millions of dollars or big Hollywood stars. You get great FX in nearly every scene though. I'm really surprised more people haven't heard of this movie. I think the girl was better than the guy but I get the western antihero vibe they were going for. He just couldn't pull it off that well. There was a lot of samurai sword action, and it was bloody.

What a great movie

[mayrjzan2162168 · 9/10 · 28 May 2019]

Love love love the movie, Visuals were stunning. I was actually thinking to give this movie a try in-spite of some bad reviews. I am so glad that I did.I went with my daughter she did enjoy the movie a lot.

Much better than expected!

[theonlymarkj · 7/10 · 15 March 2016]

I'll be honest. I didn't think this would be good *at all* especially after reading some reviews on here but boy was I wrong. The effects are amazing and the zombies are downright disturbing. I can see how the acting would annoy some but you always get a lot of flashbacks to keep it interesting and those black figures... creepy stuff.

Looks like there are multiple versions out there, which must be why some people are trashing it. I saw the so-called "Ultimate Cut" and it was pretty gnarly. This one tall creature has a belt of human heads and you get to see him add more to his collection. That's awesome.

Bottom line: if you like horror, you'll like this.

intelligent

[acazrsaawn21 · 8/10 · 26 May 2019]

This movie was incredible. The graphics and effects were awesome!

unique!

[heehansean674 · 8/10 · 14 April 2019]

I watched this movie today and I was positively surprised.I haven't seen the prequel and still enjoyed this movie a lot. If you want to see a good movie with action, this is a must watch!

For me is 10

[mccajjjack216 · 10/10 · 28 May 2019]

Loved it! The colors were beautiful. I enjoyed the whole film!

this is an indie film....

[eastcoasttat · 7/10 · 27 May 2012]

You have to realize this is an indie film. Not a big production with big names or people who have made films for bigger companies. If your a fan of the big production films or of massive cgi, then your not in luck. I personally like to see these indie films, cause there's just a raw persons idea, being acted out on film. The film has a very intimate feeling due to the tight shots and close ups of a lot of the action. you feel as if your in the woos next to the actors and when something pops in to view or moves in the background you feel the surprise, as f you were their. I would have loved to see more of the make-up artistry. The times it showed up you could see the great detail of the make-up. Could of used more moving with the of scenery as most of it takes place with just woods as background. Maybe added cabins or some sort of structure to add more to the visual aspect, giving the feeling of the characters moving, and traveling.

Overall i did like this movie, and hope more directors start going back to more make-up for their horror movies. Its a dying art form that's being lost to CGI and Computers to edit in parts and Add effects.

Seriously?

[isnbrgdavid2121 · 8/10 · 26 May 2019]

Really good movie, not sure what the bad reviews are about. Maybe people have difficulty understanding this movie

Awesome!

[mawjjjzan2168 · 8/10 · 26 May 2019]

Awesome movie! Great action, acting, and story line. A must see on the big screen!!

Low budget indie has great intentions but lacks worthy lead actor

[aj_robu · 7/10 · 10 October 2013]

People need to realize what starter indie films are all about before jumping over the line and discrediting certain diamond in the rough gems. Watched the movie last night, it loaded and played just fine. Image quality wasn't bad either, little choppy in a couple spots. The storyline, dialogue, music score were all done very well for such low budget. The special FX were pretty good and well needed in this day and age of CGI overkill. I think it could have really benefited from a stunt coordinator for the sword fighting scenes, they seemed very repetitive especially with the cam cutaway with every slashing move. Again a low budget downfall. The main actor guy,(Carey MacLaren) was pretty terrible. His acting and the way he timed his lines kind of did a lot of hurt. Sometimes he ran his lines together too fast, and sometimes it was too drawn out. The emotion he tried to show didn't come through naturally and seemed very forced, making it look like just overall terrible acting. The supporting lady wasn't bad at all. She kinda carried the main guy along acting wise. I think with a better lead actor this movie would have had a much greater impact (not to mention someone that looked like it wasn't the first time they had ever picked up a sword, though they had "been practicing since they were a little kid") would have helped the overall flow and emotional feel to the entire story. All in all a good flick, by far not the worst low budget I've seen. Nice camera work, so glad to finally see an apocalypse with out the stupid shaky handy cam feel!!! Too much of that nowadays. The flash away during every sword and gun scene seemed to take away a little from the flow of the fight. I'm sure that had a lot to do with budget and not being able to show the direct slice or gun impact shot all in one screen frame. For what its worth I liked it, would love to see it re-done with a decent budget to get deeper into it! Best of luck in the dog-eat-dog film industry!!