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DVD uwantme2killhim?
 Run time: 92 min Rating: 6.2 Genres: Drama | Thriller Director: Andrew Douglas Writers: Mike Walden Stars: Jamie Blackley, Toby Regbo, Joanne Froggatt |
| Storyline A teenage boy’s descent into the dangerous world of the Internet and the harrowing consequences of his actions. A true story. |
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| Plot Keywords: internet, london england, high school, teenager, based on true story | |
| Details: Country: UK Release Date: 25 June 2013 (UK) |
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4 comments
I had not read the Vanity Fair article, or had heard anything of this story before I decided to watch this film. I actually watched it by chance with no knowledge of what it would really be about and was immediately sucked in to the story.
It has a great pace, but I'm a sucker for quiet, sometimes brooding, films. There are a few twists and the film keeps it interesting by exploring flash backs and fragmented time lines, this was a wise move otherwise the movie could have really fallen flat and come off as slow and boring I feel.
The acting is adequate, there will be no Oscars but my attention and suspension of disbelief were held well. I felt myself connecting with the leads, they captured my attention well which is not an easy thing to do so it added to my enjoyment.
While this film does have some flaws, I feel that it deserves a solid seven for the experience it delivers and I think it deserves that extra nudge for the fact that it is "based on true events".
Interesting to say the least, worth a watch.
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
A film depicting the apparently true life story of Mark (Jaime Blackley) a popular, charismatic boy at school with an equally popular social life on the internet, who is asked by online friend Rachel (Jaime Winstone) to take her socially awkward brother John (Toby Regbo) under his wing. Mark finds himself explaining this in flashback to DI Clayton (Joanne Froggatt), whilst he has been placed under arrest for John's attempted murder, only to go on and explain the events leading up to this, which unravel an increasingly warped, deranged tale of fantasy and reality becoming horribly blurred.
This indeed dramatises events that occurred during 2003 in a suburban area of London. I remember a TV drama from some years ago about something similar that happened in Manchester, or maybe they've just swapped locations. Andrew Douglas, the man behind the Amytiville Horror remake, presents us this story that is a bewildering fact is stranger than fiction case whichever way you look at it, but has more relevance and believability in this day and age, where it sometimes feels like the internet basically controls everything. This in turn makes it all the more chilling, and makes you wonder just what dangers unfettered chat rooms could pose in future.
The film benefits from an unknown but solid and dynamic young cast, chiefly Blackley, who bears a striking resemblance to a younger Russell Brand, fitting in his role as the eloquent, dynamic young man, forming an odd double act with Regbo as his needy cohort. It's a small scale effort, and the constraints sometimes show through, but it tells it's baffling story with aplomb and has a solid young cast to carry it through. ***
I almost did not watch this. The story was slow to develop and I was not comfortable with the opening scenes. At the end I felt an emotional impact from the story and saw then how everything that preceded built up to the climax. Turns out to be a good story of youthful male bonding and a plausible story of a series of events misleading the innocent and gullible (Mark). A good story always makes the effort of watching thru an otherwise uninspired scenery (low budget?), low suspense, not a lot of action or Hollywood style attention grabbing scenes. A Hollywood movie could never get away with producing a movie just built on the story. Toby Regbo (John) did some affective emotional scenes, facial expressions were right on.
I'm familiar with two of the main cast (Toby Regbo of Reign and Joanne Froggatt of Downton Abbey). It started off a bit slow for me, but it got interesting after Mark heard the news about Rachel.
I did not know this movie is based on real events! It reminds me so much of Heavenly Creatures with Kate Winslet, but without the attraction between friends of course.
The twist at the end was totally unexpected. It makes you wonder how, as a movie watcher, you missed the signs that led to the ending. Overall, it's an enjoyable movie!
Fantastic actors, great plot.