Featured Audience Ratings

• Cynthia S

  
  A perfect example of a decent psychological thriller. .....I see so many bad reviews, but I found this rather good. This surely wasn't a plot that has been done over, and over. The actors were very good (Cillian is one of my faves). I think that the ending made a lot of people… More
  A perfect example of a decent psychological thriller. .....I see so many bad reviews, but I found this rather good. This surely wasn't a plot that has been done over, and over. The actors were very good (Cillian is one of my faves). I think that the ending made a lot of people mad. I, personally, thought that it was an appropriate ending. It sure answered any questions that I might have had by that point.

• Lewis C

  
  I had pretty high expectations for Retreat because: A. I'm a big fan of both Thandie Newton and Cillian Murphy. and... B. I like thrillers in general, and it's been a while since I've seen a good one. And does it live up to those expectations? Not particularly.… More
  I had pretty high expectations for Retreat because: A. I'm a big fan of both Thandie Newton and Cillian Murphy. and... B. I like thrillers in general, and it's been a while since I've seen a good one. And does it live up to those expectations? Not particularly. It's certainly a tense movie, with a menacing stranger showing up at the remote island vacation cottage of a couple, bringing with him frightening tales of a global pandemic. They mustn't leave and they must seal themselves away inside the cottage to avoid the certain death that outside contact and infection brings... according to him. But, is he telling the truth? Is the threat really the world outside, or the man in their home? There's a twist or turn near the end that keeps Retreat from being strictly as predictable as my description might have lead you to believe, but whether that makes the story any better is up for debate. Personally, I found it to be somewhat underwhelming once it was all revealed. Retreat does keep you guessing about what to believe, to a certain extent, but I can't say that I "enjoyed" watching the movie. The characters are all flaws and bad decisions, with no real reason to invest in them and hope they survive whatever threat, be it viral or human, that may endanger them. The acting is nothing special, thanks to a pretty pedestrian script that lacks any semblance of nuance. The tragedy that brings the couple to the cottage has no real relevance to the story, which makes it nothing more than pointless backstory. Their history is brought up in careful detail, only to never lead anywhere. Murphy's character is written to be such a weak and passive man that it borders on caricature and Newton's has two emotions, unhappy and afraid (though she still manages to be absolutely beautiful). Jamie Bell goes overboard on the menace and danger, when some ambiguity would have served both the character and story much better. This was definitely a flawed experience for me. I didn't dislike the movie, and as I said, it can be quite tense at times, but it just seemed off in several ways. The word "underwhelming" comes to mind.

• Al S

  
  An unforgettable and powerful edge of your seat thriller that your pulse-pounding and your heart-racing all the way to the end. It`s loaded with gripping suspense and unstoppable tension. It`s utterly well-crafted and incrediably performend by its wonderful cast. A riveting tour de… More
  An unforgettable and powerful edge of your seat thriller that your pulse-pounding and your heart-racing all the way to the end. It`s loaded with gripping suspense and unstoppable tension. It`s utterly well-crafted and incrediably performend by its wonderful cast. A riveting tour de force of a thriller. A real knockout. Cillian Murphey and Thandie Newton are outstanding. Jamie Bell is electrifying, he gives a strong, confident and and terrifying performance, he`s a real show stealer. Murphey, Bell and Newton give great strength to their characters and just helps makes this movie work more. A little bit of Straw Dogs meets alot of Dead Calm. A well-polished character study with a tense claustrophobic feel that works out well. A mind-blowing ride that`s twisty, frequently thrilling and tremendously entertaining movie. Director, Carol Tibbetts crafts a brilliant and remarkable film.

• Roy G

  
  This is a neat, well-crafted three-hander, making good use of its location; it really is a meaty role for Bell, who lets rip in what might be his most eye-catching part since Billy Elliot.

• Manu G

  
  A world away from everything you know. Not bad! The story was kinda intriguing and well played. The cinematography and sound were impressive. The acting could have been better but it was good enough. You never know what's gonna happen which keeps you guessing till the end which… More
  A world away from everything you know. Not bad! The story was kinda intriguing and well played. The cinematography and sound were impressive. The acting could have been better but it was good enough. You never know what's gonna happen which keeps you guessing till the end which was shocking and disturbing which I surely loved. In a last-ditch attempt to save their failing marriage after the stillbirth of their first child, Kate, a journalist, and Martin, an architect, escape London for a retreat to the beautiful, yet remote and unpopulated Blackholme Island, which is off the west coast of Scotland. Fairweather Cottage is a place where they once shared a romantic holiday and the island holds fond memories of happier times. Kate and Martin arrive by boat, it's autumn and the rocky barren moors are blown by freezing winds and the before they've even settled in, the generator and CB radio communication start to fail. Their relationship is already fragile and anxieties are pushed higher when they lose all contact with the mainland and after a heavy storm, an injured man is washed up on the shore. Dressed in military fatigues and carrying a gun, the mysterious stranger regains consciousness and identifies himself as a British soldier called Private Jack Corman and he soon reveals that he carries a deadly message - an airborne virus is sweeping Europe and all their lives are under threat unless they take drastic action. He insists that the only way to avoid the fatal disease is to seal themselves in the cottage.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"No neighbors. No help. No escape."</i> Kate and Martin escape from personal tragedy to an Island Retreat. Cut off from the outside world, their attempts to recover are shattered when a Man is washed ashore, with news of airborne killer disease that is… More
  <i>"No neighbors. No help. No escape."</i> Kate and Martin escape from personal tragedy to an Island Retreat. Cut off from the outside world, their attempts to recover are shattered when a Man is washed ashore, with news of airborne killer disease that is sweeping through Europe. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Overly dramatic struggling for a Polanski vibe, and this movie's failing perhaps shows just how gifted Polanski can be in traveling that fine line between drama, and melodrama. Thandie Newton is one of my favorite actors but her character was so unlikable in this I had difficulty giving her the love she deserves, and although she did have to be a jerk for the plot to work the balance was tipped too far over, and even I found it hard to empathize with her. We never really got to understand her's and Cillian Murphy's back story and I certainly don't mind not being spoon feed every detail but the vagueness of it all meant we just didn't really care that much about them. All of that has to come down to one role I think, and that has to be the director. Maybe he wasn't ready for his first movie, took on too many roles, bit off more than he could chew, at the end of the day this movie fails and it fails when it could have been a little master piece. There really was something more than we got with the missteps of this movie. It's a shame really. I hope he can do better on the next one.

• Walter M

  
  "Retreat" starts with Martin(Cillian Murphy) and Kate(Thandie Newton) traveling to a remote island where they hope to relive happier times of when they were last there. Things do not go well at first, either emotionally or involving the generator, a remnant left over from… More
  "Retreat" starts with Martin(Cillian Murphy) and Kate(Thandie Newton) traveling to a remote island where they hope to relive happier times of when they were last there. Things do not go well at first, either emotionally or involving the generator, a remnant left over from the Industrial Revolution, leading them to call in Doug(Jimmy Yuill), the caretaker. And then Jack(Jamie Bell) shows up on their doorstep, all bloody and bruised, before wanting to have a quiet word with Martin. The phrase 'when bad things happen to good actors' usually applies to bloated Hollywood fare, but it can also equally apply to much more modest productions like the would be thriller "Retreat." Overall, after a neat set-up, the movie suffers from a fatal case of indecision, giving its talented cast little to do, except for one scene where a character is glad he played a lot of Operation as a kid. Otherwise they sit around and shout at each other while waiting for the drawn out climax to happen. Whereas I can understand Jack being something of an enigma since he is the key to the movie, the same could not be said about Martin and Kate. She is a writer and they suffered an unspeakable tragedy of some sort and that is pretty much it, which makes it that much harder to care about what happens to them.

• The Movie W

  
  Murphy and Newton play a couple who head to a remote island to try and save their ailing marriage. When they find Bell washed up on the shore he tells them he escaped the mainland, fleeing from an airborne virus that is spreading throughout the world, and proceeds to barricade them… More
  Murphy and Newton play a couple who head to a remote island to try and save their ailing marriage. When they find Bell washed up on the shore he tells them he escaped the mainland, fleeing from an airborne virus that is spreading throughout the world, and proceeds to barricade them inside their cottage. What we have here is really just "Dead Calm" in a cottage. Bell is excellent and there are some nice twists along the way which end with a homage to "Night Of The Living Dead" but don't expect anything you haven't seen before.

• Christopher H

  
  Retreat plays on expectations, or rather what one expects to be actually taking place outside the walls of the house that the characters are in. On one side there is a strange and dangerous looking man (played wonderfully by Jamie Bell) who tells an unbelievable story and with his odd… More
  Retreat plays on expectations, or rather what one expects to be actually taking place outside the walls of the house that the characters are in. On one side there is a strange and dangerous looking man (played wonderfully by Jamie Bell) who tells an unbelievable story and with his odd mannerisms and sometimes violent demeanor, you are left constantly questioning his state-of-mind. Meanwhile, the couple enduring this madman (Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton) all while getting over their conflicted relationship. Unlike most lower budget thrillers that lose steam the further into plot that they delve, Retreat picks up steam even into the conclusion of the film and is easily one of the most underrated films of 2012 thus far.

• David S

  
  An intense three-hander home invasion movie that takes place on an isolated island 'Retreat' could almost be a play as a majority of the action takes place in the cottage there. The film uses a remarkably similar plot to 'Dead Calm' but unlike that (superior) movie… More
  An intense three-hander home invasion movie that takes place on an isolated island 'Retreat' could almost be a play as a majority of the action takes place in the cottage there. The film uses a remarkably similar plot to 'Dead Calm' but unlike that (superior) movie you're never sure whether Bell's intruder is a complete nutter or genuine in his motives. The fact that the film doesn't resolve this until right at the very end works well and Bell is very good here. Murphy does alright in his role but I just found Newton a bit annoying and that didn't help my enjoyment of the whole thing. However the whole thing works quite well and there's a nice string soundtrack throughout. Just don't go into in expecting anything amazing.

• Francisco G

  
  Doesn't offer anything new to the genre but doesn't insult it either. Could've had some better fleshed-out characters, tension between them and probably the overdose of twists on the last 20minutes of the flick is too much. Still entertaining while it lasts and keeps… More
  Doesn't offer anything new to the genre but doesn't insult it either. Could've had some better fleshed-out characters, tension between them and probably the overdose of twists on the last 20minutes of the flick is too much. Still entertaining while it lasts and keeps you guessing till the end.

Read all 11 featured audience ratings