te_escupo I love the contrast between the city and the countryside. It shows that sometimes the country can be more dangerous and much worse than the city regarding social issues. However, this wasn't enough to make a good movie, because the plot goes nowhere. Nothing is said, the parents are cowards, the kid is struggling but then his selfish mother when she gets affected decides to finally move back and apologize to him. That's all about it. Very simple rather mediocre story.

dale-51649 This piece is about a teenaged guy from California who gets dragged to his cousins house in the midwest by his parents. The teens name is Ryder, which fits because he reminds one of those millennials who have last names for first names, as though they are too "special" to have a name like other boys. He is an only child , and his parents have taught him that he is unique, and worthy of praise from a world that will welcome his quirks and creativeness with open arms, celebrating his differentness.When Ryder goes to Nebraska, he gets slapped in the face with the fact that not everybody likes his weirdness. He likes to make a statement wearing bright sunglasses and red short shorts that were only appropriate decades ago, before guys were not quite as compelled to constantly emphasize that they are not gay. He raises a lot of eyebrows from his large extended family with his outlandish outfits,, but the little pre teen girls love him and his drawings (he is of course a FABULOUS artist). His little 9 year old cousin Molly insists that they walk alone together to some hayride, and agrees to do it- his first big mistake. He seems naive, and most guys his age I hope would know that to be alone with a little girl is a terrible idea.This movie can serve as a good cautionary tale, and if my sons were teenagers I would definitely have them watch it. We are living in an odd time, when children are almost deified, and many adults want to cater to their every whim. As adults we definitely have to learn to say NO, mainly to protect ourselves. America 2017 is looking similar to Salem MA 1600 s lately, and men have to act accordingly until we come to our senses. No adult male should ever agree to be alone with a child who is not their own, period, thats just a sad fact in our 2017 paranoid world. When Ryder is alone with the girl something happens which makes the family extremely suspicious, and the plot unfolds from their. The acting is good and the story interesting, unfolding in an unique, unpredictable way. It has a few cringe inducing lines, but not many, and it is a very rare thing in modern film not be able to guess the ending, and I applaud it for that.

Red_Identity A film that feels like it's good, but it's really rather insufferable at every turn, with characters doing really stupid, nonsensical things. It feels like a film that the director thought was really something quite special and that feeling makes you dislike it more. I guess it's not awful, and there's something to say for it always kind of remaining interesting, but that also makes you feel more cheated because it feels like it has a lot of things going on under the surface and it really doesn't. Definitely infuriating, no doubt. The acting is solid for the most part, although there is some broad characterization in some of the performances. Just not very recommended, in all honesty.

Anthony Giancola I always prefer to give a film the benefit of the doubt going into it. When I saw the trailer, I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen and didn't need to see it. But I was still curious and decided "you don't know, you could be wrong. Go see it and find out." So, I saw it. And I can safely say I predicted beat for beat what was going to happen. Now, that is not to say predictability is a bad thing. But this movie seems hellbent on surprising you. Every reveal is treated as a mind blowing revelation, when you've probably already figured it out twenty minutes back. And the movie becomes sterile if you know what's happening. As the film reached its close, I found myself thinking "this can't be the solution, no they're going to pull he rug out from under us. The other shoe has to drop."But sadly it all ends as you thought it would. Which wouldn't be bad, except the line of dialogue which reveals the "big twist" of the movie comes, and I'm not exaggerating, less than ten minutes in. There are many good aspects to the movie, and I must praise those when I see them. The cinematography is gorgeous for the budget the movie has, if it isn't at all too reminiscent of TV in Sobel's point and shoot method. The lack of a score calls to mind No Country For Old Men and definitely creates the atmosphere of mystery and suspense Sobel wants to capture. There is one music cue at the end of the movie I find a little out of place tonally, and admittedly laughed when it occurred, but that's a minor complaint. Where the movie really stands tall is on the shoulders of its actors. Logan Miller, the films lead, once again shines and shows great promise as a young actor as the young gay son of Robin Weigret and Richard Schiff (who both turn in stellar performances). Josh Hamilton makes a thrilling turn as the shifty uncle and father of Molly, the girl with whom the plot revolves around. The other standout in the movie is the young Ursula Parker as Molly, where she shows a naturalism and charm without being an annoying child actor. Matt Sobel has the capacity to make a great movie, but sadly Take Me To The River isn't it.