Downhill

The movie is a typical popcorn horror flick that isn't really doing anything new. Everything about it is average, from the acting to the special effects, but it all culminates into a highly entertaining film that shouldn't be dissected or over analyzed like some people reviewing it have been doing. It's a simple premise with a simple script, a b & C grade cast, and some competent special effects. But to act like this is such a horrible film is hyperbole at best and an indication that not everyone should be reviewing movies. Stop treating these movies as if they are supposed to be life altering experiences, and enjoy them for what they are; teh equivalent of reality TV, just condensed to an hour and a half.

With all that being said, the ending was SPECTACULAR. It's endings like that that make me glad to be a fan of the horror genre. To me, it more than made up for anything I found average in the film as a whole.

Go in expecting Shakespeare and you will be disappointed. Set your expectations accordingly, for the genre, and just have a good time. It's really that simple.

Let me start by saying this was filmed in 13 days, and it shows. Oh boy, does it show. Starring the underrated and potentially great action heroine Natalie Burn this Cabin Fever (2002) inspired mess truly has no idea what it wants to be.

It's one of those horrors which makes its rules up as it goes along, gets more than a little weird then forgets to bother explaining itself.

I walked away from the film scratching my head about what I'd just watched and more importantly why I had watched it in the first place.

If horror has taught me anything its that woods are bad places, simply don't go there or you'll meet monsters, rednecks or lots of screaming folk and shaky camera work.

The stories about the teddy bears picnic were lies, lies I tell you! Downhill does exactly that, downhill from the start and before the credits roll succeeds in mowing face first into a tree, backflipping three times and landing in that pile of dung from Jurassic Park (1993)

Yes pun intended. Although if you're looking for humor, you shouldn't stop and watch this. Unless you like laughing at how bad some things are. Like the dialog, or the "acting". The story in general and some of the special effects too. Is there any saving grace? One of the accidental fun of course - and I guess if you like watching beautiful people, than there is something here for the eye too.

But as far as horror movies are concerned, this is very weak. I reckon if you haven't seen many, you might be mildly entertained. But mostly for the wrong reasons as mentioned above. I did watch it at a festival and it's always hard facing those who made this and put a lot of effort into this. Learning by doing though and maybe someday the result will be better

ENTERTAINING MOVIE, I DON'T THINK THAT VALLADARES PRETENDS TO MAKE OF THIS SCRIPT A BLOCKBUSTER, SO I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING WORK, HE USES THE ELEMENTS HE HAS IN A GOOD WAY, FULFILLING WHAT HE PROPOSES, IT'S NOT HIS MASTERPIECE BUT I THINK HE'S A DIRECTOR WHO USES THE ELEMENTS AT HIS DISPOSAL IN A GOOD WAY WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND OR DEPEND ON A BIG BUDGET TO MAKE A MOVIE.

Just for the record, it was very clear from the outset that 'Downhill' was in no way intended to be high art or a film one does try to judge it overly seriously. Actually did watch it accordingly and really tried to take it for what it was aiming to be, which is always the case with everything watched and reviewed. Have never watched a film with stereotypical views of what a film should do and with the mindset that there should be rules in what a film should be (i.e. not expecting every film to be "entertaining", because quite a number of films are not that type of film).

Despite judging it fairly and with the aim of being encouraging rather than giving off the sense of being difficult to please (mostly am pretty generous), 'Downhill' didn't work for me sad and sorry to say. The idea was not a bad one and it was for that reason as to why the film was seen in the first place, as well as it randomly appearing in my recommended for you section. It was the execution of it that was badly off.

The best thing about 'Downhill' was the make-up which did have an eeriness and professionalism, never being goofy.

Actually, the production values in general were the film's least bad asset. While not incredible-looking, for the budget and concept it really did not look bad, there are far cheaper looking films around.

Unfortunately, that is where the praise ends. The acting is poor all round, with a mix of not being comfortable and being robotic instead and also a jarring over-the-top-ness. They do have to work with characters that are neither interesting, with very sketchy development, or with anything worth investing in, every one of them are either bland, annoying or both with vague motivations and frustrating decision making. The dialogue always sounds improvisatory-sounding that it affects the flow and the cheesiness makes one cringe.

It's the story that's the biggest problem with it being bad enough to pretty much single-handedly bringing down the film. 'Downhill' is not even a film that starts off well, even at the beginning it felt very confused. Things get even more downhill from there, with sluggish pacing, no tension, suspense or creepiness at all, too many far-fetched moments and with so many unanswered questions and implausibilites the whole thing fails to make sense. Especially in the last half hour, which is an overcooked, incoherent jumble of areas that don't gel.

Summarising, very bad film. 2/10 Bethany Cox