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The Return

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The Return (2006)

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Reviews Counted:53

Fresh:8

Rotten:45

Average Rating:4/10

Consensus: Unoriginality may be an acceptable risk in the Horror genre, but boredom is never okay.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for violence, terror and disturbing images.

Runtime: 86 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:19-01-2007

Synopsis: In 2001 British director Asif Kapadia's debut feature, THE WARRIOR, a lyrical, beautiful movie set in the Himalayas, was named Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards. For his second film, Kapadia... In 2001 British director Asif Kapadia's debut feature, THE WARRIOR, a lyrical, beautiful movie set in the Himalayas, was named Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards. For his second film, Kapadia headed to Hollywood for the suspenseful horror flick THE RETURN, written by first-time screenwriter Adam Sussman. Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Joanna Mills, an aggressive young woman who works as a successful saleswoman in the trucking industry. She pushes hard to go after a big deal in Texas, even though she had previously deemed the state off limits--something that happened to her when she was a little girl has kept her away from her hometown for many years. Filled with fear, trepidation, and determination, she goes back to Texas, even visiting her estranged father (Sam Shepard). As she sees familiar places, she has frightening flashes of deja vu, remembering bits and pieces of a tragic incident involving an ex-con (Peter O'Brien), an unseen man, and a bad traffic accident. The visions haunt her dreams, sending her back to her childhood (where she's played by Darrian McClanahan). Reunited with an old friend (Kate Beahan), Joanna tries to move forward, but her unfinished past keeps dragging her back. Kapadia keeps things at a slow, suspenseful pace, every scene adding another piece of the plot--as well as a touch more mystery. Gellar, who has also starred in such horror films as THE GRUDGE, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, and SCREAM 2, plays Joanna with an involving sense of dread that is echoed by Dario Marianelli's score. [More]

Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Peter O'Brien, Sam Shepard, Kate Beahan

Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Peter O'Brien, Sam Shepard, Kate Beahan, Adam Scott, Darrian McClanahan, Erinn Allison, J.C. MacKenzie

Director: Asif Kapadia

Director: Asif Kapadia
Screenwriter: Adam Sussman
Producer: Aaron Ryder, Jeffrey Silver
Composer: Dario Marinelli
Studio: Rogue Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for The Return

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Too polished to be truly creepy, The Return has more than enough atmosphere to keep you watching - but nowhere near enough mystery.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
06/12/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[The Return] isn't creepy enough to really work properly and there's an over-reliance on sudden soundtrack noises in place of actual scares.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
01/20/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/20/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It proves what many people have been suspecting for a while now: SMG is a scream queen for audiences who don't like horror movies.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/16/07
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Adam Sussman’s script is so thin you can see right through it.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/16/07
Nigel Floyd
Nigel Floyd
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

She gulps a hell of a lot, her cardigan sleeves are pulled down over her hands and her forehead’s slightly furrowed (not too much, mind, it could make her look old). It can only mean one thing: Sarah Michelle Gellar is acting.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
01/15/07
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
Total Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If you are expecting anything new or profound to be added to the Rocky recipe then guess again - there is nothing fresh or original here, simply a wellconstructed and engagingly-performed film that will tick all the right boxes for Rocky fans.

Full Review Source: Sunday Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
01/15/07
Mark Adams
Mark Adams
Sunday Mirror [UK]

It’s gripping stuff and deeply enjoyable.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/15/07
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A large step backwards for a promising director and far from the return we’d been hoping for.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/15/07
James Dyer
James Dyer
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Tom Meek
Tom Meek
Boston Phoenix

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Kit Bowen
Kit Bowen
Hollywood.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Built from spare parts left over by American remakes of Japanese copies of "Ringu", "The Return" is at least two steps removed from the first generation copy.

Full Review Source: Beyond Hollywood | comment Comment
04/18/08
Brian Holcomb
Brian Holcomb
Beyond Hollywood

It's just a dull, mediocre, and forgettable supernatural drama with wooden performances from its entire cast...

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
10/31/07
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

The Return is a slow burn that's often way too slow, feeling stretched to meet a running time that's still under 90 minutes.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

a low point in the on-going battle to scare U.S. teens from their allowances

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 1 Comment
03/12/07
Keith Breese
Keith Breese
Filmcritic.com

Austerely directed but shamelessly dry, uneventful and derivative.

Full Review Source: FEARnet | comment Comment
03/01/07
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
FEARnet

Stick to vampires, Buffy.

Full Review Source: Rue Morgue Magazine | comment Comment
02/12/07
Aaron Lupton
Aaron Lupton
Rue Morgue Magazine

full review in Greek

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
01/14/07
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
11/25/06
Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Austin Chronicle
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for The Return

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This weekend, multiplexes hope to cram in lots of moviegoers thanks to a wide selection of new films. Six movies open or expand nationally on Friday making for what will be one... More...

November 09, 2006: Critical Consensus: A So-So "Year", "Fiction" Works; "Babel" Shoots and Scores; "Harsh Times" Lives Up To Its Title; Guess "Return"'s Tomatometer!
This week at the movies, we ve got a rom-com in Provence ("A Good Year," starring Russell Crowe), a guy whose life is a novel ("Stranger than Fiction,"... More...

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