Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

mjsreg Brilliant acting and a near accurate portrayal of the development of a psychopathI watched this film by accident (thinking it was another film with the same title) and was drawn into the story from the very first shot.This is a film that has been crafted - a rarity in US film making nowadays. Each shot carefully considered and in tune with the development of the characters as we get to understand their story and who they are.I am not a fan of child actors, many of whom fall short of portraying strong characters. This kid in this film (Jared Breeze) is definitely an exception. His portrayal of the boy is natural, believable, and very, very strong.The other actors are just as strong, which brings us a well rounded interaction between them that is as realistic as it could be without being there.It is a film you have to watch - and not glance at occasionally. The story and the cinematography do the rest to make this one of the best films I have seen in a long time.

hwmillerster First, let me say that this is not a horror picture. It isn't a slasher picture. It's a good psychological thriller. I think some of the bad reviews were because it was made by a film company specializing in such movies. Second, Elijah Wood made an excellent first effort in producing this film. I consider it equal, if not a little better than the Good Son, Elijah's psychological thriller. That picture also starred the excellent David Morse. Jered Breeze is a revelation and has a good future in film if he chooses it.Ted Henley, the protagonist plays a nuanced sociopath. He doesn't kill animals, even his pet rabbit. He's an average boy in a desolate motel on a lonely highway that was probably cut off by an interstate. His father is drowning in his regrets and barely takes notice of his son. His father did seem to provide some motive for Ted's behavior. Near the end, Ted had quickly graduated into a proficient mass murdered with carefully chosen words to deflect attention away from him. Rainn Wilson skillfully plays a similar character in William Colby who set up as the fall guy.I find it interesting that the writer chose 1989 to shoot this in. That was probably the last year when land-line phones were still in use and cell phones weren't commonly used. Ted had no video games and no Internet to occupy him. Just a TV with over-the- air broadcasting. It would have made no sense to make it contemporary and writer wisely chose wisely no to do so.In short it was a very good drama made by new people, except Woods, and a tight budget. I'll wait for it's promised sequel.

Reno Rangan The entire setting reminds us the movie 'Psycho'. More or less it could have had made a good prequel to that, like the portrayal of Norman Bates' childhood. As an independent film from any previous narrative, it was quite good actually. Inspired by a novel that tells the story of a 9 year old boy who runs a motel with his father in a nowhere. In a lonely place where the customers are very rare, how the boy develops his behavious without social consciousness is what this movie is.Trust me, realism means this movie, but there's always flaws in a small budget film like this. If you always scan for logic, you can't enjoy any movie even in small quantity. Empty your thoughts and get into it, then there's a chance you might like it. I'm not saying it'll become your favourite, but the depiction was so good which was quite similar to the recent Austrian movie 'Goodnight Mommy'.It is not a horror, but a thriller-drama. A terrifying theme, that means terror-horror, thus it called horror. Other than that there's no supernatural or sci-fi things in it. It was a decent movie to me, I felt it was slightly underrated. The turnaround in the storytelling was very good yet predictable stuff. The filmmaker must bring a sequel for it, otherwise I'll be very disappointed.6/10

utexashorns First, let me say that this film is very underrated because of those that don't appreciate psycho/social storyline building that does not have instant gratification. If you are one of those then move on- you wont appreciate this understated and psychological story.The story shows how the pain, anger and isolation of a frustrated young boy can create just the right recipe for a Sociopath. It presents a story that is realistic and chilling as you watch the progression of the boy's desperation and thus psychosis taking hold of him. The atmosphere is quietly horrifying as you feel the constant loss and emptiness that surrounds this boy and the way it understandably sets the stage for his survival. He needs to get out of there and get away, but is becoming more and more socially awkward do to the isolation and heavy depression that surrounds him. This creates an emotional numbness that leads him to distract himself with creating drama and destruction around him until he finally decides to find his opportunity to escape by any means necessary.