10x10 (2018) User Reviews

JEER - (4 stars out of 10)

[BJG-Reviews · 4/10 · 9 March 2019]

The stage curtains open ...

It's really hard to talk about this movie without spoiling it ... but, I will do my best not to. Let's just say that nothing is as it seems - sounds familiar, I know. It's another one of those kind of movies.

The movie starts with a man watching a woman, and then eventually, abducting her and taking her to his rural home in the trees. He drags her inside the house and throws her into a 10x10 padded room (hence the movie's title). Right away, you are intrigued. Why does he have her there? Why all the preparation of the room, hiding the room, and why her? The movie does a good job of building the suspense and the questions are coming up right and left as it begins to develop. I actually liked the story and the reason why she was there.

My problem with the movie, though, is in how the answer is delivered. I felt this was a missed opportunity for something really special. First - for having "months" to prepare for this, he really wasn't too bright. Abducting her in broad daylight, in the middle of a shopping center parking lot - she even got out some shouts for help (but, of course, the ONLY person in the vicinity is wearing headphones and listening to loud music...lol). Then when he gets home, before he takes her out of the trunk of his car, he just leaves the garage door open. There is a reason for this - a real eye roller too. And then he isn't quick to notice that she still has her cell phone on her, even inside the secret room.

She isn't too bright either ... for starters, there is one point in the film where she manages to knock him out cold. And instead of taking his gun, she wastes time trying to get out the door, use his phone ... pretty much everything except for the one thing she should have done. But, I guess if she would've done that, we'd have no spectacular ending - which really isn't that spectacular.

I can't recommend this one. The idea of the movie was better than the movie itself. This could've been so much better. The promise just got worse and worse as the movie wore on. Too bad. I just hate seeing great ideas go to waste like this one.

Really not that bad. Good acting, different story idea and a good bit of action

[sassy-14613 · 6/10 · 30 September 2018]

Not sure what the terrible reviews are about. This deserves at minimum 5-6/10. It's unique, it's got some thrills and great fight scenes. Give it a try, guaranteed your entertained.

Mediocrity In A Cell

[nebk · 4/10 · 13 April 2018]

10x10 is a by the numbers (pun intended) mystery thriller starring Luke Evans and Kelly Reilly in principle roles as a kidnapper (Lewis) and his victim (Cathy). The movie starts of interestingly if unrealistically enough when Cathy is kidnapped in broad daylight in front of a shopping mall. From there onwards what ensues is supposed to be a cat and mouse game between the two with the kidnappers motive becoming explained as well as the fact that Cathy is not an innocent victim in the story.

The relatively good aspects of the film are the acting by the two main characters and the nice house in which most of the movie takes place. The poor aspects of the movie are the increasingly weak story and the fact that Cathy has 3-4 excellent chances to overpower Lewis and subdue him and yet she gets recaptured every time. When the explanation is finally offered for the whole mess, the movie becomes even less believable as Cathy is actually a murderer who killed Lewis's wife and other patients in a hospital where she worked as a nurse. So this supposed Angel Of Death who had numerous chances to escape and/or kill her kidnapper allowed herself to be captured a number of times. It just doesn't add up.

Overall a poor thriller that could have been better if care was taken to develop the characters and make their actions more believable.

Can't get over how extremely poor script was...

[VioleTAK · 2/10 · 14 April 2018]

Honestly it was so hard to get through this movie... One poor scene after another., where nothing made sense.

The woman kept beating his ass to the ground, yet she always left him in a fine state ready to overtake her again, until the end where she turns into some kind of monster.

I have no idea how this movie keeps a score above 3, which would still be a kindness.

Will have to disagree again. This is a believable movie.

[bricslove · 7/10 · 4 August 2018]

I should really thank the reviewers for lowering my expectations, and then myself for not caring about reviews or rather, for reading between their lines.

I am very content with this movie: story is good, atmosphere and music are used effectively. Few things are overdone.

Here is why this movie is realistic:

• Yes, there are vigilante religious nuts who take it upon themselves to punish people.
• Yes, "survivors" are made of selfishness and apathy. Kudos for that observation, that was fantastic. To survive, you have to adapt. To adapt, you have to accept the rules as they are. To accept is to maintain status quo, regardless of what it means for the masses.

It was a Darwinistic world eaons ago and still is, only because humans who draw a thick line between animals and themselves have failed to even want to better it. Surviving in a Darwinistic society tells a lot about you, or the Macchiavelli in you. Not talking about breathing here, obviously.

And just like a survivor does, a beast disguised in feigned innocence slowly unravels its ugly face. You get your hints though: The acting, the manipulation, the utter strength that comes from having no reservations.

The man's getting beaten a couple of times, was, to the contrary very realistic. How so? Well someone who is not accustomed to using violence on a daily basis is inclined to think others aren't, too. In other words, they are not cautious. Especially when they think they have the upper hand. It has nothing to do with your physical strength when you're taken down by surprise.

And because the man in question thinks he can reason with a survivor in some twisted, perceptibly life-threatening environment he put this survivor in, he is actually hoping for a change.

As stated in the movie, he didn't put her there to kill her. He put her there to judge her, force a confrontation, an admission of guilt. He put her there to see why she did what she did, and most of all, if she regrets it.

The captor was fooled into thinking the abductee had her own lines she couldn't cross. She had something human in her.

And in the end of the movie, where the real physical fight starts, we hear her letting the man know of this big mistake: "Did you think I would give it all up for you?"

Actors were in fact good. Scenes of realizations were shot well enough to feel immersive.

Predictability is of little value here. This is not a movie that challenges you to guess who will do what and who will win in the end. This is a psychological thriller movie where the biggest twist is the abrupt change in the transparency of personalities. Denial until the end, and then dropping the act to display one's true colors only when one thinks there is nothing more to be redeemed... is the true nature of a narcissistic suvivor that we all have in us to varying degrees. The build up of tension in the environment towards such breakdown was the perfect setting to render this transformation visible and in a striking manner.

The man carries a gun, but even during his knee-jerk reactions, he doesn't have in himself the selfish recklessness of this survivor of an inexorable woman who knows no bounds. That is why the fights were so realistic. The disbelief with which the man improvises was acted out perfectly by the actor. And same could be said of the actress as she transforms into a monster.

Both characters' actions and choices are wrong to different extents and you still can find yourself rooting for one over the other. That is because evolution made sure we have an inbuilt justice system which we call "conscience". It all sits well in this movie of a fight of altruism vs selfishnessness/sympathy vs apathy.

All this carried out without the torture porn, and still effectively to the point. There's some blood, and a violent scene of fight but I could cite countless movies held in high regard having much more violence in them than this one.

In short this movie is the portrayal of a sociopath versus a normal person going vigilante upon losing it when they yearn for actions to have consequences. Nowhere along the movie was I duped into thinking the movie was about something else. No feeling of being shortchanged.

And for those wondering why such movies are on the rise.My take is: Because we are in an era where we have seen laws selectively working for too long and we have pent up, toxic anger that we try to slowly get rid of our system by seeing a similar story told by someone else. It confirms our sense of justice and helps explain our anger, and draw lessons from what is actually a "simulation".

Just two stupid mistakes kill the entire movie

[hongm-45381 · 3/10 · 28 April 2018]

Escape one time, hit the guy hard and doesn't finish him. Escape twice and she has the time to lock him into the 10x10 room and she doesn't. Last thing this 160 lbs woman is stronger than a 200+ man... shame.

VIEWS ON FILM review of 10x 10

[burlesonjesse5 · 7/10 · 19 May 2018]

10x 10 is an unrated, tersely compact thriller. As something about a man who confines a woman to a soundproof cell only to find out that she killed his wife, "10" has a torture porn setting without the actual torture porn. Granted, the film could've stretched its running time past a mere 87 minutes for added absorption. Plus, there's a cliched clip of the authorities showing up conveniently after the final confrontation goes down. Nevertheless, 10x 10 leaves you torn and nomadic on which gender to root for. It serves up its transient premise in creepy and effective fashion.

"10" stars Luke Evans as the wealthy kidnapper and Kelly Reilly as the one being kidnapped. Evans is a tad wooden as Lewis when he is mourning his dead spouse through past home videos and random news footage. Reilly outmatches him as Cathy. She channels a sense of raw fear and raw distress as a would-be, bible-thumping criminal. Cathy and Lewis go at each other mano-a-mano and bloodied cat and mouse. They give 10x 10 the feel of being a violent, ungovernable, and unsettling affair.

Director Suzi Ewing (she helms mostly shorts) makes "10" atmospheric and woodsy in a Hostel/Human Centipede sort of way. She even uses a few long shots when the main damsel in distress is letting out shrill screams. Don't be fooled though. Ewing's narrative is wholly original and not really in the realm of horror fare. 10x 10 in totality, is more psychologically intentioned as opposed to psychotically intentioned. With a minuscule cast, minimal locations, and personas that have a high threshold for pain (and appetite for that matter), it's a low budget character study that's almost "ten"fold. My rating: 3 stars.

Deserves an Award For Most Absurd Characters

[snakeye808 · 2/10 · 16 April 2018]

First of all, I'm not a fan of people who say the actions of characters in movies are stupid or illogical, or that no one would actually behave in that way, because usually they are talking about a situation that they have never personally been in, and more importantly, all people react differently to situations so who are we to say how the characters should react.

That said, these characters' actions are too absurd to be believed, and the only reason for such behavior is to further a silly plot. For example, the women held captive is going to bop the captor on the head (who is holding her hostage with a gun) and knock him out several times throughout the first 30 minutes of the movie, at which point she could easily grab the gun and be in control, but for some reason she repeatedly tries to run, at which point the captor magically awakens and catches her again, only to be hit and knocked out again, and so on and so forth.

Furthermore, it becomes clear right away that the captor knows she is concealing her identity by repeatedly asking her name and getting angry when she answers, "Cathy." So everyone knows she is not actually Cathy... but Cathy fails to realize this and is flabbergasted that he keeps asking who she is. She was arguably the most frustrating and annoying character to listen to, but one also has to wonder why Luke Evans does not just stop asking her name and reveal that he knows exactly who she is. It's stupidity of both characters in order to try to build suspense/mystery that really ends up being irritating.

On top of all that, the ending is quite unsatisfying. If you thought all this nonsense was building up to some awesome twist or revelation, you'd be wrong.

Hey, we got some money to waste, LET'S MAKE A MOVIE!

[d.rust · 27 May 2018]

SPOILER: Really, the title says it all. 10x10 is 0x0. I watched it until just after the housekeeper arrives and I switched it off in favour of watching a MARRIED WITH CHILDREN re-run. MWC was far more realistic and far more entertaining. I switched it back on just in time to see the ending, from the part where Lewis is stopped by the cops. Sigh. What a crapfest.

Surprisingly it wasn't as bad as people wrote about it

[Q8-MarronGlace · 6/10 · 18 April 2018]

Wasn't bad at all it could've been better actually it has a good acting good fights plot not too much but entertaining this was the first real film for director Suzi Ewing I would support her and would recommend this movie to others , keep up the good work Suzi ...

What a stupid movie with stupid characters

[rudygerst · 1/10 · 16 December 2018]

The movie desperately wants us to believe that the kidnapper took months to prepare his rapture. Yet, he comes up with a plan that makes ZERO sense. Why the hell would he try to kidnap her in broad daylight in the middle of a public place?? Why not at night, when she closes her flower shop?? This idiot almost got caught, by the way. This... brillant mastermind plan could have been trashed within seconds. Then, the girl takes over stupidity. On one occasion, she knocks out the guy. She could easily have locked him inside the room, but doesn't. She knocks him a second time (God, who is she? Captain America?), then she DOESN'T take the gun that lies near the unconscious kidnapper. What the hell, girl??? The "secret" between them is not interesting at all. The movie makes us root for the girl, then the guy, then the girl again, then the guy again... It's fine, but the plot is so stupid and boring that I just couldn't care. This movie looks like a cinema semester final project, filmed by amateur students with no budget. How the hell did Luke Evans get here?

So many haters!

[maximovlE · 10/10 · 7 August 2018]

I've given this a 10 just to help outweigh all the low scores. Ok so it's clearly a low budget, there are a few scenes where you're screaming at the screen, why didn't she finish him off when she could? But hey, it's movie land, that's what happens, always. You want realism that why on earth do you watch movies?

So why did I like it? Was it worth a 10? Hell yes! Unexpected twist that makes you find yourself switching sides and being thankfull that all the things you wanted to happen didn't. So few movies around any more that dare to be different. When was the last time the victim was actually the crazy serial killer? 10 out of 10 for originality.

In my opinion, of course!

Clever Cat-and-Mouse Game

[lavatch · 7/10 · 17 May 2018]

The strengths of "10 X 10" were in the two well developed characters, the ebb-and-flow of the action, the psychodrama, and the excellent performances.

The film begins with Lewis out for revenge on the woman he believes was responsible for the death of his beloved wife, Alana. Cathy-Natalie begins as the victim, but the film shifts into high gear when the crucial plot twist reveals her to be a liar and every bit as lawless and amoral as Lewis.

The essential developments in the narrative are the background on the Charleston Three, who perished in a Charleston hospital. But the court ruled that the medical staff was not responsible for the deaths. Thus, Lewis is not taking the high road when he kidnaps and tortures Cathy-Natalia in the 10 X 10 room.

The background on Natalie-Ann Stevens was interesting with her dysfunctional family in Green Bay, the infidelity of her father, and the tragic death of her sister, who strung herself up. Yet she clearly crosses the line when she takes on the role of vigilante in using her medical knowledge and position as a nurse at a hospital to "execute" what she deems as three miscreants.

The background on Lewis is equally intriguing. Was he so gullible that he never recognized that Alana was running around behind his back? Why was he absolutely certain that Natalie-Cathy had killed his wife. Was his goal in kidnapping Natalie-Cathy only to extract the truth? Or was he seeking a pound of flesh?

The film's ending left a great deal to be desired, as the filmmakers failed to provide a clear resolution about the fate of Lewis. At the very least, the physical evidence will point to Lewis as Natalie-Cathy's kidnapper. He should be facing years in prison where he will have the opportunity to contemplate the true nature of his marriage and the decision he made to toss Natalie-Cathy in his trunk.

A would-be thriller with a failing story.

[peterp-450-298716 · 4/10 · 22 July 2018]

I want you to tell me your name. Cathy. My name is Cathy Noland.

One thing is certain. "10X10" breaks all records when speaking of resurrections. The number of times you see one of the two protagonists getting back on their feet again seemed endless. It looked like a newer version of "Night of the living dead". But this time with two stubborn non-zombies playing in it, whose resilience seemed superhuman. At one point I was more concerned with figuring out which of the two had the lowest IQ. Because you can't keep up with the number of stupidities after a while. And finally, I also wondered at the end what statement Lewis (Luke Evans) would give about the whole event when the police show up on his driveway. It's clear I didn't really like this film. And that because of the accumulation of absurdities.

I wanted to see this movie solely because of Luke Evans appearing in it. Personally, I don't think he's a bad actor. He has a certain likable appearance. In my opinion, he didn't act so bad in "No one lives" and "Message from the king". He radiates a calmness and coolness. But here he also seems to have the gift of stupidity. Or they tried to portray him as a real amateur. However, it all starts fairly intriguing. The patience with which Luke observes his future victim Cathy (Kelly Reilly) and the seemingly perfect way in which he carries out the abduction. From then on it started to look more like a slapstick than a nerve-racking thriller. The abduction wasn't perfect, but rather a combination of coincidences and pure luck. But for all we know, he could have been caught red-handed and taken into custody. On the other hand, would that be the case, this would have been a short movie. Speaking of luck-pushing.

The next hilarious moment (intentionally I suppose) is the arrival at his hypermodern, tastefully decorated house. There the victim awaits an ingenious installed, low-noise isolation cell of 10 by 10 meters. Luke turns out to be a regular do-it-yourself shopper because he made it all by himself. He did manage to do that. But apparently, a perfectly functioning garage door was a bit too much. And from then on a psychological cat and mouse game starts that only revolves around revenge. It's best I don't tell more specifics of this less successful film. Contentwise, it's already nothing much. Let alone I'd reveal more. Actually, the content is so limited that they decided to fill it up with irrelevant trivialities and artificial emotional moments. You have to admit that the creators of this film ensured that the pace is high. Only half an hour has passed and poor Cathy is already gagged and screaming anxiously in her cell.

The fact that "10X10" didn't meet my expectations is, in my opinion, not due to the acting itself. That wasn't so bad. It was even reasonably convincing at times. I think that the script is the cause of this disappointment. And this because of a too limited story. How can you make a whopper of a film from a wafer-thin, simplistic plot? Even the Spielberg's and George Lucas's wouldn't figure out how to do that. To be honest, it didn't matter to me anymore who would die in the end. I was already satisfied that at least an acceptable playing time had been provided.

Some Plot Elements Are Just Head Shakingly Ridiculous

[larrys3 · 5/10 · 16 May 2018]

We slowly learn why Robert Lewis (Luke Evans) has abducted a woman Cathy Noland (Kelly Reilly) from a LA Fitness parking lot, in broad daylight, and taken her to his home, only to be imprisoned in a sound proof 10x10 hidden room. As the movie progresses, many of the plot elements here are head shakingly ridiculous, which destroys much of the film's credibility, as I see it. It will all spiral down into a most wild, violent, and absurd finale.

Sexy Luke Evans main reason to watch this

[jeffeastwood2000-628-193804 · 17 September 2018]

First of all, this film isn't NEARLY as bad as some reviewers on here would have you believe it is. Do unrealistic situations occur? Of course they do! It's called "suspension of disbelief," guys. You know, that mode your brain reverts to when watching the SAW movies of when viewing any James bond flick. You think, "Oh my god, that is so absurd; that could never happen!" but you let it go because you understand you are watching a work of fiction. In that regard this movie fits right in. Don't think so damn much about it and just enjoy the nonsensical ride.

Now, if after watching this, you want to see Luke Evans and Kelly Reilly in far superior thriller/horror films, check out their respective movies, No One Lives and Eden Lake. The latter contains one of my all-time favorite twist endings and is one of the most brutal films I have ever seen.

Don't listen to the haters

[chrisleigh76 · 7/10 · 8 January 2019]

This film popped up on Now TV with 1/5 rating. Checked IMDb and again, the rating was low. Regardless, I decided to watch it and I'm glad I did. The film is much better than the ratings suggest; It was quite tense in places with a decent twist, and top notch acting. Take the bad reviews with a pinch of salt and watch this film; you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Good Story, Poor Directing.

[hallbanks · 5/10 · 13 April 2018]

This film had extreme potential after watching the trailer, but failed due to unrealistic (very unrealistic) aspects of the film. This is a film that keeps you questioning the characters behaviors, but that's all it does. There is no deep connection with any of the characters simply because the lack of backstory. Also, 80% of the movie is filmed in a house, which makes it extremely frustrating to watch. SPOILERS: First, the good. The characters were played well, the filming and lighting was strong, and there was a good (poorly developed) story.

Really? In broad daylight at an LA Fitness? Next to a guy who is backing out? No.

Really? The guy is terrible at his job, allowing the girl to escape multiple times. Also, the girl gets good hits but never finishes him. These type of kidnapping films make me cringe. The ones where they attack their kidnapper but never knock him down hard enough.

There is hardly any character development and no depth behind the characters lives. The film seems to drag on and on, but finally comes to an end after multiple escape attempts.

Don't expect much but still worth a watch

[klasienpg · 6/10 · 25 April 2018]

I'm not one for long reviews so here goes.

It wasn't nearly as bad as other reviews make it out to be. Sure not the best movie bud I'd say deserves atleast a 5/10.

Doest she get a bathroom break?

[lorainerocha · 4/10 · 6 August 2020]

All that time in the room and she never had to g to the bathroom????

rooting for the villian this time

[LetsReviewThat26 · 6/10 · 2 July 2023]

10 x 10 is an interesting title in itself and once we look at the contents, we know why its called that but I cant give this film a 10. Its also different because its one of only a few films iv'e seen where I root for the villian instede. The villian in question is luke evens. Our favourite gaston plays lewis. A seeminly normal man who has a soundproof room in his house. And the woman that he kidnapes out of the blue that would be cathy played by kelly reilly. I wish she would get rid of that fringe in this but anyway this film is structured well and once we understand these two characters in their world, I think the movie becomes better and really 10 x 10 is sort of gem but still has flaws. Overall 6/10.

It's not that bad but it's not that good either. Just somewhere in between.

[XueHuaBingYu · 5/10 · 6 July 2019]

A lot of people are saying that this film is bad. But as for me, it's kind of enjoyable. But I must admit that the plot is kind of simple and the whole film is kind of normal.

When I watched this film, I kind of wanted to have such a soundproof room. It really seems to be a good idea, especially the environment I'm currently living in. And the house is so cool. A simple house, but a good house.

Overall is that this film isn't that much good, but it's not bad either. At least, we can all learn the truth doesn't come easily and there is another truth under it. I don't know about the others, I really enjoyed the film.

Surprisingly,great film!

[girlb-87884 · 10/10 · 7 October 2018]

I thought another flop film, but i enjoyed the film very much! Excellent acting for both actor and actress.

I like it.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 7/10 · 19 February 2019]

There is nothing extraordinary in this movie, except it is not boring at all, very inventive and the topic not so usual, because without the foreseeable bad guy vs poor moman scheme. You have also noticed that since several years now, you have seen many thrillers involving abducted gals by a batch of maniacs of all kinds. Remember Brad Anderson's THE CALL. Pretty effective too. This very feature I am talking about now coud have been a perfect Alfred Hitchcock Presents series episode. Of course there are many ankward scenes here, unbelievable at the most, such as this one when Luke Evans abducts the girl in broad daylight on a parking lot...But there are pretty funny moments when the man so organized, who had prepared everything in advance, has some difficulty to open his garage door!!! Good stuff, not great, but a perfect time waster.

Escaped Early

[sellranger · 1/10 · 29 September 2020]

I gotta say at the top I didn't finish, and I can suspend disbelief if the film's style warrants a "check your brain at the door", but if you're making a realistic thriller and you show a kidnap victim resilient enough to overpower her single captor four or five times and she NEVER TAKES HIS GUN OUT OF THE EQUATION, or binds him, or cripples him, but just waits for him to recover and pick up his gun again, I'm sorry, I check out. Good acting up to that point and I guess there's a reason they didn't let us know anything about the characters first, but stupid staging is stupid and I can't sit for that.