Rage Review

There are a lot of movies that I’ve seen for free, and many of them don’t really live up to any of the hype that I read about them. But for once, I can truly say that a screener has really lived up to all the awards and accolades that they’ve received from around the film festival circuit, which is rare. I’ve seen a ton of Italian, British, and Spanish horror movies this year, and while most of them were ok, nothing gripped me quite like this American offering. Whoever said modern horror was dead or in shambles, didn’t get to see this one. It has all the makings for a horror classic, if only more people would watch it. My first review back from a small hiatus is none other than the psychological horror film Rage.

Rage deals with an emotional situation, compounded by mystery and set to a thrilling pace. You’ll meet a man who’s cheating on his wife but is now ending it. After ending it all with her, he is chased down by a mysterious biker who terrorizes him by beating him up, scratching his car, and chasing him through the downtown areas. After a long day of suspense, he goes home, and all is safe…or is it!

The film immediately grabbed me in an interesting fashion, simply because the quality is high. The film looks higher quality than most straight to dvd type films. In fact, the quality is so high that I’m surprised this wasn’t released by a larger studio like Lionsgate. I was impressed not only by the film quality, but also the editing and cinematography that is shown throughout. Some of the frames are perfect, and reach a boiling point of suspense that is often times just used for scare tactics in larger films.

The human emotion involved with both anger, and what appears to be a karma driven experience is quite interesting to see. I found the elements working well together, especially when our main character shifts from hero to villain and back again thanks to the outlaw biker. (Remember those magazines? I wonder if they are still around)

The pacing of the film is fast, throwing you into the story and giving you just enough background information to get you trusting in the director’s narrative. The film moves from heavy-handed horror to softer paced thriller and suspense. I felt the emotions through even though the actor’s were unknown to me. AT times this film was completely brutal, and at other times it was poetic in a way, but whatever the case is, Rage had me compelled throughout the entire process.

Rage is not for everyone; it has some really disturbing moments, some of which will find critics cringing as a result. I recommend checking this film out, it’s probably one of the best things you’ll see all year, and that’s saying a lot, because I’ve seen quite a bit of films this year. This one takes the hat in a lot of ways…geez.