Spidersecu
Don't Believe the Hype
Derrick Gibbons
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
Tymon Sutton
The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
SnoopyStyle
Kate (Thandie Newton) and Martin (Cillian Murphy) go to the isolated Blackholme Island off Scotland to escape London. They were there back in happier times in 2002. They are struggling with marital problems about a miscarriage. The power goes out. Martin is injured while trying to fix the generator. They call Doug for help on the radio but they get no help. Then they find a bloodied unconscious man. The man claims to be Private Jack Corman (Jamie Bell) and that there is a deadly worldwide airborne flu. The couple is suspicious of the erratic Jack.The trio try their best to make an intense psychological thriller. The main problem is that the movie has one tone and one gear. It's steady and unrelenting. Jack doesn't change. He starts off scary and stays there. It may be more compelling to start off sane and build to crazy. It's intense but it feels like a manufactured thing. It's not realistic that Martin believes anything Jack says. Jack is basically acting like a paranoid mental case. There is nothing to prove his case other than his word. The movie needs to give the audience the permission to believe in Jack but it never does.
Claudio Carvalho
The journalist Kate (Thandie Newton) and her estranged husband, the architect Martin (Cillian Murphy), rent an isolated house in Fairweather Cottage in the Blackholme Island expecting to rekindle their love and save their marriage after a miscarriage of Kate. The owner, Doug (Jimmy Yuill), brings the couple in his boat and they have only a Citizen Band (CB) radio to communicate with him. Soon they have problem with the generator and Doug helps them, repairing the equipment. When Kate sees a wounded stranger in the island, she calls Martin and they bring him to the house. They note that the man is dressed with military uniform and has a weapon, and Martin hides the gun. The stranger wakes up and tells that he is Private Jack Corman (Jamie Bell) and he is fleeing from a pandemic in the continent. Further, they must isolate the house to protect themselves against the deadly airborne virus. Kate does not buy his story but Martin gives his gun back. Who is Jack? Is he telling the truth?"Retreat" is a boring and annoying psychological thriller, with a terrible story and unlikable characters. There are many flaws in the plot and stupid reactions and plot points. Thandie Newton's character is irritating and she has histrionic performance. The final plot point with the truth about Jack is kind of absurd. My vote is three.Title (Brazil): Not Available on DVD or Blu-Ray
Tyla Thomas
I am definitely a fan. Retreat was a good, fast paced movie with some well placed and unexpected twists. I was thoroughly brought in by the film, constantly feeling intrigued and trying to figure out what could possibly happen next. Granted, some may say it as full at first, with which no could not disagree, but the rest of the movie really made up for it. Everything just added up to make this film thoroughly enjoyable.Never did I expect some of the content in this film, especially the ending (sit this one out, and don't give up on it - it gets SO much better toward the ending). I don't want to give spoilers, but expect a shocking turn of events, right up to the last minute.Sit back and enjoy... If you can... You might just be too excited to sit still.
matthewchermside
This film bears more than few similarities to another really bad film "Right at Your Door", which should send some potential viewers running from it. The characters are bland, the "plot twist" at the end was telegraphed from the beginning, none of it makes any sense whatsoever. What a waste of a talented cast this film was. Three incredible actors in Cillian Murphy, Thandie Newton and Jamie Bell are completely wasted in this tripe. As soon as Jamie Bell arrives in the film and starts barricading up the house without so much as any protest from Murphy's and Newton's characters I knew the film was going to be dreadful. The ambition of building tension is failed and the dynamics between the characters is completely screwed up, although Jamie Bell is very menacing, as the pretense is complete balls. Do not waste your time on this film, it is utter drivel.
