Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

phd_travel This is a strange movie with a super cast. No wonder it isn't famous or didn't do to well despite the talent.Mischa Barton at her prettiest, Madeleine Stowe post lip job but still lovely, Jonathan Rhys Meyers at his most way off. What more could you want? A good story. It's a strange mix of thriller horror cult with vampire like blood stuff going on.A mother and daughter are on the road but get mixed up in strange cult led by JRM. There are slow moments then some horror and action. It's all rather distasteful and meaningless and the story isn't well written. Things don't really add up to much or come together well.Only worth watching if you are want to see the main stars in an obscure movie.

onlyjared "Nobody in chains ever soared up to the sun"This film is a considerably underrated yet imperfect exercise in style filmmaking. The most important element in creating a film in this genre is how effectively the director can engineer the creepiness and mystery factor and IMO Adams definitely succeeds in pulling it off here. It's clear that he grafted some of the directoral techniques of David Lynch in many of the films early sequences....Madeline Stowe says as much in the actor interviews on the DVD. Much of the film's skillfully accomplished eeriness is greatly enhanced by the soundtrack which is a solid 10.Stowe was the perfect choice for the mother as much of her acting skill comes from her gifted ability to convey strong emotion nonverbally but merely through her facial expressions. Just watching her you truly believe this is a woman in a complete state of panic. Norman Reedus was also exceptional as the tow truck driver with a stoic icy demeanor who manipulates the audience into a context of uncertainty about his intentions. ************ Spoiler Alert *****************The film started to become very interesting during the scene inside the tanker truck where the dark highway sequences suddenly blend into a lofty dreamlike club atmosphere with the Orbital soundtrack pounding away giving the impression that this cult is most at home when they're on the highway.It is true, as some of the other reviewers point out, that the only real let-down in the film was the ending. It was too abrupt and should've been more developed. It would have been well served by an additional 10-15 minutes of good writing.The entire film was shot in Luxembourg so nothing about the highway sequences looks familiar.

ctomvelu-1 Let's be honest: We all watched OCTANE because it starred Madeline Stowe, she of BLINK and MOHICANS fame. But what a comedown this appears to have been for the once-intriguing Ms. Stowe, who here plays the troubled mom of a troubled teenage daughter who runs off with a cult. Mom of course immediately goes after daughter. Wouldn't you? Unfortunately, I did not get all the way through to the end, and will have to watch this oddly titled film again. What I saw started off with a David Lynchian, weirdo sort-of bang but quickly headed downhill as Ms. Stowe transforms from a neurotic, skinny lady with a truly disturbing hairdo to the new Lara Croft as she hunts down her crazy kid. As for Ms. Stowe's bizarre and unflattering haircut (you have to see it to believe it), I attribute to the film being shot in Dutch-land, where bizarre haircuts are pretty commonplace. I would be surprised to hear OCTANE ever made it to theaters here. Poor Ms. Stowe. Looks like she may be joining Wesley Snipes, Steven Segall and Jean-Claude Van Damme in the twilight world of STVs. How brightly shone her star at one time!

Koala E. Volador The movie starts promising but the turning point of the "cult" lacked credibility. Also it seemed as the director did not want us to really connect with the victim. Going through her parent's divorce did not seem enough to be sympathetic the her attitude problem. The whole movie is a "Rosemarie's Baby" gone wrong were everybody around the main character looks suspicious and devilish. Also, apparently the Mom was drugged somehow and we are never clear when her hallucinations begin. Therefore the special effects on her "mental trips" confuse and do not add to the plot in an essential manner. It was sad that what could be a nice thriller turned out to be as boring as a flat soda pop. Too superficial.