RETREAT (2011)

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Directed by Carl Tibbetts
Written by Janice Hallett & Carl Tibbetts
Starring Cillian Murphy, Jamie Bell, Thandie Newton

RETREAT is a drama along the same lines as STRAW DOGS with a bit of a psychological twist and a heavy dose of zombie/end of the world paranoia mixed in. A couple (Thandie Newton and Cillian Murphy) heads to an island retreat away from their jobs and city life. They are trying to rekindle their relationship, which has been faltering after the loss of their unborn child. As things start to settle into the mundane, a man (Jamie Bell) washes ashore claiming that there is a plague outbreak on the mainland and that they should barricade themselves into their stone house and not contact any outsiders.

Though limited to the three actors, the film becomes dynamic pretty quickly with Murphy and Newton deciding whether or not to believe the frantic man. The dynamic between the three shifts from fellow survivors to captive/captor to almost a twisted kind of makeshift family throughout the film, with Bell alternating roles as if he were a newborn in need of care at first, a fellow person taking refuge against a harsh world, and finally someone threatening to break the family apart and separating from them by the end, mirroring a child’s development and addressing the couple’s lost child that is haunting them.

As far as horror is concerned, it shows up as the psychological kind. Though RETREAT is relatively bloodless for the first hour, there are some gruesome moments toward the end, but the highlights here are the fine performances by all of the actors involved. Due to the singular locale, it plays almost like a stage play, with the bulk of the story relying on the trio’s performances rather than effects. The ending is satisfying but is somewhat predicable and abrupt.

Those looking for a fast-paced thriller might get a little bored with it, but I admire RETREAT because it plays a lot with the expectations one has with an end of the world film. Almost an anti-end of the world film, this one zigs when zags are expected, and though there isn’t much by way of plague-infested zombies pounding through doorways, it suggests enough to keep that feeling present throughout. There are enough of those films anyway, so something a little more subtle is a welcome treat.

Check out the trailer here!!