Too polished to be truly creepy, The Return has more than enough atmosphere to keep you watching - but nowhere near enough mystery.
The Return (2006)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for The Return
[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.
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.
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.
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.
A large step backwards for a promising director and far from the return we’d been hoping for.
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.
It's just a dull, mediocre, and forgettable supernatural drama with wooden performances from its entire cast...
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.
a low point in the on-going battle to scare U.S. teens from their allowances
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