Review of Retreat (2011) by Thomas W — 21 Oct 2011

Playing off of and twisting the modern classic thriller, Dead Calm, Retreat is another claustraphoia-paranoia thriller with a most-able cast. Thandie Newton (Crash, Beloved, Interview with the Vampire) and Cillian Murphy (Red Eye, Batman Begins, Breakfast on Pluto) play a married couple "retreating" to a remote isle shortly after a miscarriage.

The struggling couple hopes to re-kindle their relationship/romance; but it is hard to do when the cottage's generator keeps going off and they feel isolated from the rest of the world. They soon lose all connection to the outside world when their CB (?) goes down .

.. and a bloodied, unconscious stranger (Jamie Bell - Billy Elliott, King Kong, Jane Eyre) soon appears outside of their cottage. After the pair bring him in and remove his gun (!), he wakes to tell them of an airborne, global pandemic that has just broken out and is claiming life and their only hope of survival is to isolate themselves (even more) by covering all ventilatory devices of the cottage with plastic to seal them off.

It doesn't take long for the pair to question the new man or his intentions ... and hysteria, claustraphobia and paranoia soon takes over the trio. There are some expected "twists" and some that are not quite as expected .

.. and there is enough tension and drama to keep the audience involved. I wasn't certain what I would make of the married couple's reaction and their treatment of the new arrival; but as it plays out their behavior becomes acceptable.

I wasn't expecting much from Retreat, and was -- in turn -- slightly surprised with what I got out of it.