Search - Frayed on DVD

Shock Room review

S. P. Miskowski | West Coast, US | 09/01/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Frayed begins in 1994, with an innocent looking video of a child's birthday celebration. We see family and guests engaged in typical, lighthearted games indoors and out. But as we continue to watch, it is with the creeping suspicion that all is not what it seems in this family. At one point, unprovoked, Kurt (the oddly dour birthday boy) slaps at his dad with his new baseball bat and shows no remorse for his behavior.

Later in this sequence, we follow Kurt into the house. Uncertain about what the focus of the story will be, we are not prepared for the events that quickly unfold. Soon the film makes good on its promise of an act that is more than horrific--and it is presented in a sustained frame, so you are not allowed the respite of a cutaway or looking from a different angle. [Note the warning on this site: The violence is graphic.] It is an act brutal enough to thrust Kurt and his family--led by his father, Pat Baker, who is the town sheriff--into a nightmare from which they will never emerge.

Kurt is sent to a psychiatric hospital, where he remains into adulthood. Sheriff Baker begins the arduous task of picking up the pieces of his life in the aftermath of this profound and traumatic event. Gradually the community comes to terms, and life goes on for thirteen years.

The news that the adult Kurt has escaped from the hospital sends shock waves through the town. Sheriff Baker prepares for the worst, and a hospital security guard, Gary, sets off to find Kurt before he crosses paths with any of the locals. Meanwhile Baker tries to reach his daughter, Sara, who has taken off to the woods on a camp-out with friends. In a twist of fate, Kurt becomes aware of Gary's efforts and begins tracking him with murderous intent, leaving plenty of collateral damage.

Frayed takes inspiration from (and pays homage to) many classic films in the psycho killer sub-genre, but its narrative avoids clichés and has a driving force all its own. The style fuses the momentum of stalk and slash with the eerie physical beauty of more ghostly horror films.

There are several dramatic twists, but the story is so well constructed that none of these manages to derail the plot. With each development a deeper level of the story is revealed, until the final scene delivers one great slap that knocks theory and jaded expectation right out of the viewer. Lazy audience members might scratch their heads, but if you've been paying attention, the pay-off is terrific. Even if you figure out part of the conclusion with the clues scattered throughout, you won't guess how it all fits together until the very last moment.

Believable and committed acting from the entire cast adds plausibility. Tony Doupé, Aaron Blakely and Jeanette Maus deserve special mention for their standout contributions.
"

One gory scene right off, way over hyped that

Rachie | Oregon USA | 08/30/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The really brutal gory scene happens in like the first 15 minutes of movie. And it is GORY!! I'm a die hard horror fan but it definitely made my stomach turn. After that a regular horror movie, some twists.
It was a good movie, it has a good concept of troubled kid kills his mom and is sent to an mental asylum. They really aren't equipped to deal with his anger after 10 years so they decide to move him to a high security facility. He gets away and mayhem ensues. It definitely had a few twists in the end I wasn't expecting and I have heard it is being banned in the UK so grab this while you can."

An old road to a new and unexpected destination...

Jake Kincaid | Intellectually Underrated Deep South, USA | 01/18/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I went into this movie expecting the typical direct-to-video slasher fare; I was somewhat intrigued by the warning about "one of the most brutal scenes ever put on film", but other than that I figured the best I could hope for was a decent retread of an old formula.

From the get go, I wasn't disappointed in this belief; you've seen this before. The comparison to "Halloween" is obvious almost from the outset, and you get reminded a LOT of another, more recent European slasher that I won't name so as not to give anything away. Suffice to say, I was certain I had the plot figured out before the movie had reached the one-third mark, and while I thought the production values, cinematography, and acting were way above par for a low-budget outing like this, I still wasn't overly excited...it was formula, pure and simple (although the supporting role of "Veronica", featuring Tasha Smith was very easy on the eyes; a poor man's Megan Fox, but I digress).

Then, in the last reel...yes! I was vindicated (yawn) in my belief of what was going on and how the plot would unfold...

But then...

I was floored...the ending that I had deduced (and was completely correct about) still wasn't the ending that I thought it would be. The movie rolled on for several more minutes, revealing one of the best plot twists(actually SEVERAL plot twists, all contributing as a whole) I have seen in quite some time. I have to say, the filmmakers, like Romero and Hooper in the past, have no desire to make you feel better at the end...I for one felt very uncomfortable with the ending of this film, and that impresses me the most.

I say that anyone interested in horror films or mysteries should check this one out...I would rent before you buy (as I said, 95% of the film is nothing you haven't seen before) but the end totally justifies the path you take to get there.

As for me, I'm buying it. This is one I'll enjoy watching again.

(And yes...the "brutal" scene in question IS very, VERY brutal, both in circumstance and execution...not for the squeamish.)

"

Be Afrayed! Be VERY Afrayed!

Jelly Jar | Collinsville, IL USA | 12/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this one in the video store, and paid little mind to it my first two or three visits. But when I ran out of titles to choose from that sounded or even looked appealing, I rolled my eyes, scoffed, and reluctantly pulled this one from its dusty and untouched place on the shelf. The goofy cover with the clown make-up and the "typical" horror-movie teen was the main reason why I passed this by time and again...but little did I know, this was to be one of the most suspense-filled, well-done horror flicks I'd ever had a chance to experience. Other reviewers have touched on the plot, the terribly gory scene at the beginning (not blood-gore, but brutality-gore), and the twisty-twist at the end, so I won't bore you with repetition and monotony; however, I will be glad to recommend this movie to you as one with all of the above plus a clear understanding that everyone involved with its production were putting their ALL into the project. This flick is exceedingly better than the vast majority of the Hollywood, big-dollar, horror movies out there. "Frayed" makes it perfectly clear that you don't need a big budget, a bunch of hype, top-billed actors and actresses, and Hollywood-induced special effects, to produce an outstanding and suspenseful presentation.
FIVE STARS!!! *****

P.S. This one deserves Blu-Ray status!"