Mini-Review: I have really split feelings on this movie. On one hand it is incredibly engaging to watch and at the end of the movie my heart was literally thumping, on the other hand it is an irrelevant movie because it is about nothing. It is merely a puzzle, and an unsolvable on at that. It is not art, and it gives few members of it's wonderful cast any chance to act (really only Dicaprio and the wonderful Cillian Murphy). I just wish there was something one could take away from this movie.

Mini-Review: it's got a lot of terrible ratings on here, but I'm a sucker for thrillers and this one isn't all that bad, is it? It's a cliche genre movie and it doesn't have nearly enough balls for my taste (its all in the story, the execution could have been grittier) but it has pretty good performances and I'm a fan of the genre. The whole finale is a worse version of the Straw Dogs ending, but if you're going to copy, copy from the best. I just wish this movie had the balls of straw dogs or cape fear.

Mini-Review: There are a few minor sour notes in this movie that I don't have the space to go into, but that involved not understanding character motivation, but this movie is simply amazing in that few films can make you feel so hard for so many different characters at the same time. Then those characters go into conflict with each other and you feel awkward for them (a huge accomplishment in any piece of performance I think). Terrific acting all around, especially by the moms. see it.

Mini-Review: badass, original horror movie. Great feeling of mounting tension and claustrophobia in the first half or so and a second half that just unleashes a thrill ride of pure glee for horror fans. thumbs up