Saw 'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back', being fond of horror regardless of budget (even if not my favourite genre) and being intrigued somewhat by the idea. Being behind on my film watching and reviewing, with a long to watch and review list that keeps getting longer, it took me a while to get round to watching and reviewing it. Despite not caring for the first 'Rest Stop', saw the sequel anyway with curiosity.
Giving 'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back' a fair chance with being interest and apprehension, it turned out to be a little better than expected with having the same strengths and flaws of the first 'Rest Stop' and being about the same in quality (basically not caring for either). Won't say that 'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back' is a great film (mediocre actually) because it isn't and the potential, while not wasted, is not fully lived up to. Considering the large number of films seen recently being mediocre and less and wasting potential, was expecting worse and was relieved that while wanting in a fair few areas it was actually one of my better recent low-budget viewings if not by much.
'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back' started off quite well, the first twenty minutes or so starting the film off on a promising, unsettling and atmospheric note that really does intrigue.
Production values did have some eeriness and nowhere near as cheap as expected.
The setting is effectively spooky. Initially, there are spooky and suspenseful moments, it isn't dull, and the storytelling initially does intrigue. Admired that it tried to be more than a standard slasher film, the supernatural element does intrigue but that it's open to interpretation so divisively says a lot for things feeling confused and muddled too often.
However, the story was severely wanting in the second half after starting off promisingly. It is very disjointed and after the promising start the final third especially loses atmosphere, one loses interest and things start to not make sense. Too much of the film is vague and doesn't explore some elements and story strands enough, some dropped soon after being introduced, go nowhere or serve much point. Instead of doing something different from the first 'Rest Stop', meaning giving some freshness while maintaining the spirit and with chance of improvement, it is too more of the same-like and with even less imagination.
Ending is unsatisfying, on top of feeling hasty there are too many loose ends hanging in the air and it all felt abrupt. Got the sense that the writers didn't know how to end the film. Would have liked much more tension and suspense (where there is barely any of either), scares could have been more consistent (again nowhere near enough) and some weren't surprising enough and had no atmosphere, the over-obvious sound not helping. Coherence wasn't a strong suit either.
Found too the script to lack natural flow and with a fair bit of cheese and blandness going on, and the characters bland with some adopting some annoying and not always logical decision making, Marilyn is one of those wanting-to-slap characters. There is very little menace to the conflict, uncreative and unscary kills, the direction is phoned in and generally the acting is subpar. Elements intended to "spice things up" (gore and profanity) were overused and gratuitous.
Overall, mediocre. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Giving 'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back' a fair chance with being interest and apprehension, it turned out to be a little better than expected with having the same strengths and flaws of the first 'Rest Stop' and being about the same in quality (basically not caring for either). Won't say that 'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back' is a great film (mediocre actually) because it isn't and the potential, while not wasted, is not fully lived up to. Considering the large number of films seen recently being mediocre and less and wasting potential, was expecting worse and was relieved that while wanting in a fair few areas it was actually one of my better recent low-budget viewings if not by much.
'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back' started off quite well, the first twenty minutes or so starting the film off on a promising, unsettling and atmospheric note that really does intrigue.
Production values did have some eeriness and nowhere near as cheap as expected.
The setting is effectively spooky. Initially, there are spooky and suspenseful moments, it isn't dull, and the storytelling initially does intrigue. Admired that it tried to be more than a standard slasher film, the supernatural element does intrigue but that it's open to interpretation so divisively says a lot for things feeling confused and muddled too often.
However, the story was severely wanting in the second half after starting off promisingly. It is very disjointed and after the promising start the final third especially loses atmosphere, one loses interest and things start to not make sense. Too much of the film is vague and doesn't explore some elements and story strands enough, some dropped soon after being introduced, go nowhere or serve much point. Instead of doing something different from the first 'Rest Stop', meaning giving some freshness while maintaining the spirit and with chance of improvement, it is too more of the same-like and with even less imagination.
Ending is unsatisfying, on top of feeling hasty there are too many loose ends hanging in the air and it all felt abrupt. Got the sense that the writers didn't know how to end the film. Would have liked much more tension and suspense (where there is barely any of either), scares could have been more consistent (again nowhere near enough) and some weren't surprising enough and had no atmosphere, the over-obvious sound not helping. Coherence wasn't a strong suit either.
Found too the script to lack natural flow and with a fair bit of cheese and blandness going on, and the characters bland with some adopting some annoying and not always logical decision making, Marilyn is one of those wanting-to-slap characters. There is very little menace to the conflict, uncreative and unscary kills, the direction is phoned in and generally the acting is subpar. Elements intended to "spice things up" (gore and profanity) were overused and gratuitous.
Overall, mediocre. 4/10 Bethany Cox