Reeds, The (2009)

Reviewed by Scott A. Johnson

Starring Anna Brewster, O.T. Fagbenle, Will Mellor, Scarlett Alice Johnson, Emma Catherwood, Geoff Bell

Directed by Nick Cohen

Distributed by After Dark Films and Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Recipe for disaster: Take six young folks, put them out on a boat with dope and liquor in the middle of nowhere, and shake well. Oh, and there's something awful running about in the reeds that apparently kills people and a bunch of teen-aged hoodlums, too. Take every teen monster flick cliche, minus the sex, and you basically have the premise for this movie. This one, however, is better than most.

Performance-wise all the actors are top-notch. They go from perfectly natural acting friends to terrified and panicked in the blink of an eye. And never for a moment does the viewer doubt that their fear is real. As they die, one by one, the audience can't help but cringe.

There are several glaring gripes about this movie. First, it's kind of hard to believe that anyone would take a boating pleasure cruise in the middle of what is essentially a reed-filled swamp. However, that one is forgivable, as folks make dumb vacation decisions all the time. Second, there are a few cheesy moments that break up the creepy vibe and tension (like the sky-high view of an explosion).

When all is said and done, The Reeds begins with a slightly confusing set-up, follows to an interesting premise, and moves on to a totally crappy ending that leaves the audience feeling dumber for having watched it. It isn't the fault of anyone but the writer, as everyone else having to do with it gave their best.

2 1/2 out of 5

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