mrbmovieguy Review of Drifter

Drifter (I) (2014)

Well conceived, fair acting, very cool plot twist

[7/10 · 15 November 2016]

As a fan of the B movie genre, (and by that I mean ultra low budget, made for the fun of it films that don't take themselves too seriously, will never win anyone an award, but will certainly entertain a group of friends with a case of beer on movie night) I have to say that "Drifter" is a diamond in the rough. The story has some originality and is certainly interesting. The quick synopsis is that a homeless drifter finds his way into what he thinks is an abandoned home (that also happens to be the sight of a recent double murder/suicide) and for some as yet untold reason he begins to go mad. The Realtor burdened with the task of selling it quick unknowingly sends painters, plumbers, and even an unsuspecting buyer into danger. As the body count climbs and things start getting weird we find out why our title character is losing his marbles, and the story changes direction in a fun way. Now the question becomes is he still a "villain" or a victim? Overall the acting in Drifter is pretty good. You can tell that some of the actors are attempting to give a believable performance, and most of the time they succeed. There will be no acting awards given, but you can tell the actors were all having a good time and that makes up for it in my opinion. The script lags a bit here and there but when it's all said and done the film has the feel of a cool, late 70s drive in midnight feature. The direction and cinematography is good, and the practical special effects (some cheesy, but other times very believable) make it work better for me than some bad CGI attempts. Drifter never takes itself too seriously, and in the end if you know what to expect the film works as a good "B" movie.