Review of The Last Winter (2006) by Lee B — 22 Jun 2009

For a dark themed movie, this movie was fun. It?s very much a thinking person?s horror movie or a supernatural thriller. These subject matter is deep and the setting and lack of real character development limits where this can go ? and that?s the point. The character dynamics are there and they are the elements needed. The plot moves everyone along to the same discoveries that need to be achieved for the shocks in the movie. It is not a scary movie in the jump-out-of-your-seat sense, it is a scary movie in the creepy situational sense.

The only real disappointment is the deliberate dead ends at the last quarter of the movie and, not to the movie?s real fault, but a budget that lent itself to a bit of cheesiness to the visuals. I wouldn?t have minded leaving more to the imagination. Not Blair Witch style, but generally. And the acting from all roles is superb. Connie Britton should be in more. James Le Gros could be a poor man?s Mark Ruffalo (Ruffalo has chops) and Ron Perlman is just underrated in all aspects. It?s nice to see him in a role that isn?t about his look and demeanor. He plays a ?tough guy? that probably just plays that role. It?s a brilliant piece.