Review of Wrecked (2010) by Lorenzo V — 15 Aug 2011

"When your mind is a mystery, you can survive the wilderness but can you escape your past?".

A man trapped in a car wreck at the bottom of a ravine must overcome incredible odds to survive.

REVIEW.

Wrecked is an interesting little low budget film that has a fairly promising premise that should attract the viewers (because the poster certainly won't). A man wakes up in a car wreck in the woods with no idea of who he is or why he got there, with his only company being that of the dead body in the seat next to him. It soon becomes apparent that help is not coming and he has to get out of the car. But once he's free, his troubles have only just begun, as he finds out that he is not alone in the woods.

There is a lot to like about this little film. Adrien Brody does a great job of displaying how painful and lonely it would be if one was trapped in this particular situation, and of course the film rests on his acting and the great imagery and camera work. The film never becomes too slow, and there is always a new little plot point or clue that leads the viewer on.

Of course one should not go into this film expecting a sordid tale of survival and battles with mountain lions. Instead, what we have is a psychological exploration, where the woods serve as the back drop for all of the character's guilts and desires, and soon we are doubting what is real and what isn't. Think of J.G. Ballard's "Concrete Island" or Stephen King's "Gerald's Game". While it is ultimately weak with a so-so story, "Wrecked" is worth watching at least once just to enjoy the work of Brody and the fluid flow of the film.