Burn (III) (2019) User Reviews

Surprisingly Decent Oddball Indie Thriller

[TwistedContent · 6/10 · 23 August 2019]

I wasn't expecting anything from "Burn", I picked it up as soon as it came out, hadn't heard any opinions and even disliked Josh Hutcherson before watching this. Much to my pleasure, "Burn" turned out to be a cool little indie gem.

"Burn" has many good things working for it, as well as some flaws. Things like simple, but vividly colored and crisp cinematography, subtle but well placed original score pieces & cool characters brought on screen by decent performances made this movie rise on the slightly-above-average level. Pretty much all of the characters are sort of one-dimensional & some don't get the journey we would want for them, but, nevertheless, they were fun. The main character (anti-hero?) really excelled, maybe by simply just being so weird. The pacing was mostly very even, maybe "Burn" burned for 5 minutes too long, but it's not a fatal flaw. The 1st half of the movie went by faster & seemed more substantial than the 2nd half. "Burn" is set in and around (mostly in) just one location, which makes me even more impressed, given the results. Many could ask "What's the point of this movie?" and, sadly, I can't answer that, but it sure was entertaining and pleasantly odd for 88 minutes straight.

"Burn" is a decent albeit forgettable expierence which I recommed to everyone who's enjoying his indie thrillers, dramas and horror flicks & loves a good 6/10 every now and then.

Way more deserving than the 5.5 rating, A witty storyline with brilliant acting try 7 - 7.5

[tkaine3 · 7/10 · 25 August 2019]

"BURN" 7 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠= Light Praise For everything this film lacks like for instance scenery since the entire movie takes place at a gas station the film does wonders with a simple yet at times convoluted storyline by integrating moments of marvelous acting, especially from the lead role played by Tilda Cobham-Hervey who was brilliant. The writer director Mike Gan keeps the pace moving at just the right speed a few scenes I may have seen done before in other movies but it wasn't a carbon copy or felt like a rip off. The tension builds enough times to keep your attention til the end. I kinda predicted the outcome but it was fun watching it unfold.

weirdly satisfying

[iamjamalwhite · 7/10 · 3 September 2019]

Yes, it is weird, a look at a girl living on the edge, just barely hanging onto her sanity. She is desperate to escape, to feel something, anything. Then a good looking robber gives her that spark. It lagged in places and you wanted to step in and fix it but overall, a cool ride.

Awkward and Cringeworthy, but in a good way!!

[vandrist · 6/10 · 26 May 2020]

Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays the awkward role flawlessly. There isn't a moment throughout this movie that she doesn't deliver. Two gas station employees have their night interrupted by a robbery that does not go as planned. Josh Hutcherson is no match for these two and will come to regret turning down Melinda's offer.

Quirky but fun

[omendata · 6/10 · 24 August 2019]

This is one of those rather off the wall movies that grow on you as the movie unfolds.

I thought it was going to be a run of the mill siege drama but it takes some really rather unusual twists and turns and has an excellent performance from Tilda Hervey who carries the whole movie rather well.

I wont give anything away suffice to say watch it, you may be surprised. It is not going to win any Oscars but the story is different from your usual run of the mill and it has some scenes that will have you wondering if you should laugh or cringe but you end up empathising with the main character Melinda. The whole film actually revolves around her and everything that happens is generated by the one character - very unusual character-centric film and well above your average drama!

Crazy people make for good thrillers.

[ramspace1 · 26 August 2019]

Just imagine that your are a night petrol pump shop attendant and a robber comes along. The robber points a gun at you, asks for the cash, you give the money, the robber runs away, and finally you call the cops. This real life situation would make for a very dull movie. But with Burn, that is not the case. There is just too much crazy thinking, too many uncalled for words in the dialogues. So it all leads to a lot of trouble. The lucky ones are the quiet ones. I saw it with a group of friends and our cheap comments were flying fast and furious. We had fun.

Neither the worst nor the best.

[binaries · 5/10 · 25 August 2019]

You can ignore this movie if you are expecting something from it. I've seen better and worse. This is just a mediocre movie about a random gas station in which a girl attendant is so desperately trying to find love and closure. Anything more would be extravagant or decorative.

Intense n good

[ks-60500 · 7/10 · 23 December 2019]

It was intense for most of the time for a simple situation. The story telling is good and totally chill. Melinda acting quite impressed me especially she acts as a weak woman but also a psycho. Lots of expression in her role.

Pointless.

[MongoLloyd · 1/10 · 24 August 2019]

Every now and then I come across a film that just has no point, no real plot, and not even a magical great ending that wows a viewer or resolves all the nonsense that led up to it. This is one of those films.

I love the "people in a room talking" genre, which this is, and some of my favorite films fall into that category, but even the dialogue in this yawner is nothing special or compelling.

Barring a plot or characters motivations that make sense, there should at least be some snappy banter, but alas, all we're left with is fleeting eye candy courtesy of Suki Waterhouse.

a gas station attendants fantasy

[ops-52535 · 7/10 · 24 August 2019]

Was this a weird story or not? i think so, and i think the last laugh is the best when the policeman asks''what happened here tonight''.

its a story about a shy and underestimated girl that does the dirtywork that noone else will do at the gasstation. she has a colleague that has karisma sharm and beauty to melt and control anyone, and its a man with a gun who tries to rob the gasstation. the robbery goes kinda bananas, and to find out what really happeneo watch ''burn''.

its a good story, it might be a bit slowpaced to many but it develops a way that many viewers will love. it has its crazy twists and turns that surprised me more than once. there are some accidental comedy here and there, but its not made for an oscar to win.

the grumpy old man recommends this flick cause when the going gets tough the tough gets going or burning or whatever....

Dull, uneventful, and anti-climactic.

[rainey-offield · 1/10 · 26 March 2021]

A very boring and uneventful film. The "plot" was filled with loose ends and it didn't make any sense at all. Normally I am very generous when reviewing/rating movies, but this one was pointless and I wish I would've turned it off halfway through.

Josh Hutcherson's character robbed the store so he could pay off some "really bad" biker dudes who later come to the store. They weren't scary at all and they served no purpose in explaining why he owed them money (unless I missed that part).

The main character was strange but it didn't explain why. She is a virgin who just wants someone to love her, but she is definitely mentally disturbed. She burns herself with coffee everyday, throws herself at every man she sees, and takes candid pictures of the officer who comes in daily. After she ties up the robber (Hutcherson) she begins to rape him.

Her coworker was a jerk but was honestly the best character in the film, but sadly this was short lived as she is shot and killed within the first 30 minutes of the film.

The whole movie was boring and it was hard to make sense of it all or even figure out WHY it was made in the first place. No hidden message, no action, no blood/gore, and NO COMEDY. Don't waste your time.

Thanks, Burn.

[chunkiefroth · 8/10 · 25 August 2019]

Thanks for not being every other movie. Thanks for giving me a protagonist who isn't a cardboard cut out of a cardboard cut out. Somebody so far outside the politically correct Hollywood norm that I had to question my own morality a few times when rooting for her. In the dessert of superheroes, remakes, and pointless sequels Burn is a refreshing glass of. . . something different.

Praise aside, this movie's weaknesses all lie late in the third act. Minor restructuring, and capitalizing on things established could have made this a perfect 10.

Quirky and refreshing

[Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews · 6/10 · 15 August 2023]

This turned out to be a surprising and quirky little indi thriller with a really interesting narrative and depiction of mental illness.

The lead girl did a killer job and was so consistent in her character choices you couldn't tell me that's not the way she always acts. Great job, I would love to see her in something else. Denim bad guy did a good job but I didn't really believe the "rough and tumble" side of his character as much.

The story suffers from awkward pacing at times but certainly keeps you engaged as it is hard to see what is ever around the corner with this one. I wish that the climax leading into the ending had given us a little more as well. It left me a little unfulfilled and hanging a bit.

Despite some hiccups, this was a bit of a breath of fresh air. It felt different and was genuinely intriguing. 6.5 rounding down to a 6. Would recommend.

Why are there so many dumb movies these days?

[roseliya · 1/10 · 8 February 2020]

A really stupid psychotic female again. No point to this movie. Nothing really happened. No meaning, no insights. Yet another hour & a half wasted!

worth a watch

[lifelinespublishing · 7/10 · 24 August 2019]

Nice story though the ending had me dissapointed, hence only a 6/10 but +1 for Tilda for playing Melinda really great., Josh was good also on this one...

the story had you guessing what's going to happen but the ending really was not the one I had in mind.

In a word, quirky

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 10 April 2020]

BURN is one of those low budget single location thrillers that manages to work despite the usual constraints and contrivances of the production and writing. It's the kind of story that becomes increasingly unrealistic as it goes on, but generally the kooky and atypical protagonist is strong enough to keep you interested in what's going on. The film has one of those quirky and darkly funny atmospheres (it reminded me of 11:14, one of my favourite underrated movies) and a strong central performance that helps it a lot. In addition, Josh Hutcherson, unrecognisable in a supporting role, finally gives a performance that doesn't embarrass, which is saying something for somebody who sat through all the HUNGER GAMES movies...

Good work by all!

[DroogEditor · 9 September 2019]

I can only wish that a director that can use all the potential of the cast and crew in such an impressive way will have some future in the business. Very impressive work by all participants.

fizzled

[mcnofx · 4/10 · 27 August 2019]

The beginning of it i was interested. the lead actress did a good job. the blonde did a good job at making me dislike her which was the point. about half way through i got bored and nothing exciting happened to keep my interest. the story became laughable along with the acting from the few other side characters. the ending was pretty terrible along with the cgi and post-audio screams lol i actually had to rewind it to watch a few more times to make sure what i just saw was as bad as i thought it was. awful ending. 4 stars - probably only for the melinda character and the actresses performance. wouldn't recommend.

"The tables have burned"

[chris-prowse · 6/10 · 30 August 2019]

Listen, this isn't a bad movie. Don't listen to the 1/10 ratings. The acting is good from all involved and you'll find yourself wanting to watch more. My only gripe with this movie is that it feels a little 'all over the place' towards the end. It's almost like they couldn't decide what they wanted to do. Other than that, it's different than most thrillers I've seen and definitely worth a watch.

Dull and pointless

[caboandphil · 3/10 · 29 December 2019]

This film is clearly inspired by the movies of Quentin Tarantino but it fails to tap into that level of suspense at every turn. What little plot is offered makes zero sense and leaves so many bits unconnected and unresolved that the viewer is left wondering why any of it was introduced in the first place. Burn lacks any action or excitement and rather than deliver any character development, it throws a bunch of clichés at the cast in some lazy attempt to seem quirky and hip. One of the dullest movies that I watched in 2019.

kept me invested throughout

[FeastMode · 6/10 · 8 January 2020]

I really enjoyed this movie. taking place in one location with a very small cast (what's that called?), i was never bored. a few memorable moments and generally unpredictable. good movie overall. i could possibly watch it again.

the actress that played melinda was fantastic. the guy... not so much. he wasn't bad, but so many moments i felt could have been amazing if it was a better actor. it's probably cause i just finished watching The Boys, but i was imagining antony starr playing the role. he's too awesome. (1 viewing 1/7/2020)

SPOILERS

i wasn't a fan if the way it ended. i'm not really sure what they could have done, so maybe it was the right decision. but it almost felt like a cop-out. dunno, maybe it's just me wanted to know what happens to her. but i guess either way doesn't change much. either she talks her way out of it or she goes to jail. so maybe it's not really a flaw.

Huh?

[curtshop · 3/10 · 4 March 2024]

A movie devoid of any cogent plot. It's like so high school art project than a serious film. I kept watching just hoping something, anything would happen. Alas, it was not to be. There is no rational reason for the one woman is so desperate for acceptance. Nothing about cold and distant parents. Or why a biker gang wants to killer the antagonist. Or why the woman wants to burn down the gas station. And why is the cop so clueless that he can't smell gasoline. Well that's about it for me. Either I missed a lot or this movie is a ginormous waste of film and time. Josh Hutcherson didn't do himself any favors being in this dreck.

Impressive.

[SameirAli · 8/10 · 7 December 2021]

I have seen poor rating all over for this movie, so, I was watching it without any expectations, May be that's the reason I really liked it. I have a taste for little bit weird and strange characters, this made me engage in the movie throughout. It's a good example of low budget experimental film making with limited actors and location. Impressive.

Liked the movie

[aarinnkumarmishra · 7/10 · 17 November 2019]

I just watched it. And the central character immediately caught my interest. I just couldn't pause or stop it. I never expected it to be so rich and puzzling. It's definitely not among the best. But it's not boring at all. It's entertaining, well written and the cinematography is very good.

What makes it so amazing is "THE CAST".

The main lead is a brilliant female Actor. And everyone else performed so well.

Only flaws are - Character design and story's ending could have been better (for me). But that's just me. The one that this movie presents isn't bad either.

Quirky low budget fare

[tpasa-1 · 5/10 · 27 December 2021]

A quirky low budget fare that finds a way to keep your interest mainly through the performance of Tilda Cobham-Hervey. The script, while underwhelming, was able to build up enough suspense to keep things interesting even as it became less and less believable.

And when I mean unbelievable, I mean unbelievable. This movie is a little bit like driving past a car wreck in that you want to look away, but your curious enough to keeping looking.

Luckily it's a pretty short movie so I stuck around to see how it ended. I thought it was building up to some crazy ending but alas, what we got was very little other than her feeling like someone told her the truth for once.

BTW, if anyone can explain the "biker gang" angle and the scene where they show up and then just leave "to look around for their friend and then come back if they don't find him", please let me know.

This movie honestly had some potential if the writing was a bit better focusing on a "night getting out of control" aspect, but even the whole initial "hold up" was over written an unbelievable.

I'll give it 5 stars because I made it to the end and the fact it found a way to have some suspense even though you never really feel for the protagonist.