Alive

I'm giving this an "8" because (1) it's a very original idea and (2) was not at all what I was expecting. Rather than just another ho-hum slasher filled with gore and blood (and there's quite a bit of that!) this was not your typical torture-porn film; this actually had a very unique storyline that was well thought out and well played. The story can seem quite slow and even plodding at times but it's well worth the wait when you realize what's been happening all this time. Additionally, the story itself - while not "scary" - does have this extremely creepy feel because it centers around what many (if not most) of us would consider to be a true "nightmare": being held captive by a certifiable lunatic who is convinced that all the torment he's inflicting on you is "for your own good".

I confess that I had to split this into a two-part "mini-series" and watch half of it one evening, and the last half the next day. I attribute that mainly to my being "an old man" and having a shorter attention span, but also because of the slow pace of the movie. While it was quite riveting at times (moreso in the latter half of the movie), there were times that it just slowed to an almost interminable rate of speed and rather that "on the edge of my seat wondering what's going to happen", I was bordering on boredom because it seemed like NOTHING was going to change. I kept waiting for this to turn into just a cheap version of _Hostel_ (trust me: it isn't!) and was slowly building towards a moment of yet another roll-my-eyes-and-kick-myself-for-sitting-through-another-dull-movie; that did NOT happen, however. I was VERY pleasantly surprised at the conclusion here, and even though, yes, there were probably some scenes that could have been snipped just to trim it by a few minutes, at the end of it all, I felt that _Alive_ was well worth sitting through a mere 88 minutes for. Definitely recommend this one for fans of a good psychological thriller/horror film.

Like cars around an armless traffic cop, _Alive_ is well-directed, moves along nicely and always keeps you guessing.

A schizoid monster combining elements of _Saw_ with parts of _The Collector_, _Alive_ is its own beast with attention to detail that give the stylish horror more depth than most indie gore. #recommend

(Full disclosure: I was given a screener of this film, but wouldn't post a review if I didn't like it.)

The first half of this movie is kind of pedestrian and rather slow-moving but the second act and particularly the concluding twist was most enjoyable and unexpected. Worth watching - and stick with the credits, too, as there are two bonus scenes.

6.5/10
Fair enough
A decent one worth watching
Some real good horror bits taken from my favourite horror movies, decent performances but it definitely started to drag through the 3rd and final act.
I must admit I never
"Saw" that
Wait-What
twist coming at the end.