Review of Stuck (2002) by Richard D — 20 Jun 2009
Gordon clearly shows his history of horror in the build-up of tension in this Hitchockian thriller. Rea becomes an amalgam of secret zombie in Suarvi's closet and a kind of final girl figure. Unfortunately, the film is let down in classic B-film style by some terrible acting (Rukiya Bernard simply can't act) and a moralistic ending. For some reason it also feels as if it is made for TV - the titles are awful for example.
That said, this is taught and tense, and its bizarre central concept is moderated by the fact that the film is based (albeit loosely) on a real incident.
Gordon's skill as a filmmaker is stretching genre films beyond their constraints, and he exhibits this ability here: the narrative indicts the US healthcare and welfare systems, as well as having time to touch on issues of the fallout of recession and the pressure of low-paid jobs. All of this is combined with a real sense of humour and an awareness of the ridiculousness of the situation, which makes it that little bit more believable.
This is a genre, chamber piece that stretches its limitations and is unsettling fun to boot.
This review of Stuck (2002) was written by Richard D on 20 Jun 2009.
Stuck has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
