I realise that all involved in the film industry have to start somewhere but that doesn't excuse really low quality films clogging the non-pay-for-view channels.It was fairly easy for the plot of this particular pile of doo-doo to look unusual and creative in summary. In practice it's amateurish, incoherent and very, very cheap. I'd like to be more critical of the plot but in all honesty I really don't have a clue what's going on. The gap between scripted lines is audible and the actors (who look like student buddies) express emotion in such a hammy telegraphed fashion you feel like applauding.If you are reading this then you are a fellow film buff and please believe me when I say I'm not a particularly demanding viewer. I always 'IMDB' my films and 5 minutes into this particular mound I was alarmed at the 'Indy Praise'. This is not, by any stretch of credulity, a 5+ star production.If your broadcaster schedules this film it's worth a complaint.

I caught this movie on the big screen in Toronto. I have to say that this was a very original movie, I've never seen a movie quite like this one before. So I give the filmmaker credit for creating some thing very unique.I think people will be tempted to rip on Dark Reprieve because of the unusual techniques that are employed here, but the production values are so good for a low budget movie it basically negates much of the negative criticism that will be thrown at this film.There is so much bloody awful low budget horror crap out there, and this movie isn't in that category at all. It is very well made.I had several theories running as I watched this, none of them close to the ending, so "they" got me. The final shot is really great, not the kind of shot you see in a low budget film.Some of the shots are very creative and an excellent example of technique over Hollywood mega fluff. There is one shot where Kate reaches for the medicine cabinet and the camera is shooting straight up from the ground, truly original.On the downside the scene where they talk about God abandoning them or some thing just killed me, why was it there? A few times the budget shows through like when they go into the kitchen. The actors at times lapse into a "lame" mode. But over all the actors came through on this, considering the tiny cast.I predict this movie will gain a following on DVD and possibly be some what of a cult hit among people that like this sort of movie.

I saw this film at a local film-fest sponsored screening last night. I was prepared to be disappointed, as I was by the last low-budget locally-filmed 'scary' movie I saw in the same situation, but was instead pleasantly surprised. This film has fairly good acting & production values for something in this budget range. Most significantly, the director was willing to cut it down to 80 minutes to maintain pacing which shows a commitment to art over ego. The flashlight-lit scenes were particularly well done, compared to many scenes which I find too dark even in some Hollywood big-budget films, and the more active scenes didn't suffer from the ubiquitous modern trend of too-rapid cutting, although there was a bit too much use of 'recycled' shots and the forward-and-back jumps (non-linear plot) were sometimes unnecessarily confusing. The overall plot and theme, however, were fairly good and not predictable as one would usually see in this style of production. In fact, the final twist (and you know one will be coming) is essentially unpredictable yet not contrived.The creepiness and scares build from setting (mostly shot on location in a real abandoned century-old jail) and plot, and there is little gore to speak of, unlike many films in this genre. This is a positive aspect, as the director is relying on story-telling instead of visceral or cringe-inducing effects. The extensive use of this location is one of the highlights of the film.Overall I give it a only 6 out of 10 mainly because of the budget limitations. The score isn't bad, but I found the sound affects a bit lacking. The new, unknown actors give a good first feature film effort, and the plot and writing are very evocative of better Twilight Zone episodes.

This film should be shown at every film school across the country to show what can be done with a small budget, creative idea for a story, some half decent no-name actors and an amazing Director/DP. The film looks gorgeous, the acting is fairly decent, and the twist at the end, while somewhat clichéd, is still handled well. The music/sound I thought was very effective, and first time actress Sarah Jackson is a natural. For being his first feature director Richard Boddington proved he can deliver. Worth checking out.R. Heide