Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

MovieHoliks I caught this awhile back off Netflix, and forgot to review this. Ryan Phillippe, who recently turned the big 4-0, made his directorial debut with this torture thriller, also starring as a has-been actor (sound familiar? LOL) who is kidnapped and tortured by two backwoods thugs in Florida (I think??) while shooting a little movie there.I was surprised that I didn't hate this movie, in fact I would actually give it a borderline recommendation for fans of Phillippe (and torture or snuff films! LOL). In some ways, this is the best acting work of his career. He said in an interview (and even near the end of the film) that the experience of this movie taught him to treat others better- or at least made him a little more aware of how he treated others-?? I think that's something we all could take a lesson from...

bayareamike What to say??? We've seen this before - a guy get's kidnapped, tortured & told he will be killed later (why they don't just kill him now when it would make sense would erase the need for the film so we go through it). It is a well filmed thriller (low budget i'm sure, but it doesn't show). The actors are good, the action is good, and the story ends like all of the others - the guy eventually escapes killing the people who chained him up. There is some "Deliverence" style stereotypes of those in the woods wanting to have sex with other men because there is nothing else around, or simply because no woman would want to have sex with these swamp folks. There are some racial & homophobic statements throughout (which is fine with me, but the 'Political Correct' folks probably don't like it thus I would venture to guess the low rating of the movie). I think it deserves a rating higher than 5. Anyway, it is above average for the type of film it is - I enjoyed it. Didn't look at the clock once, so that's also a good sign. I wouldn't go out of my way to see this film but if watching it an option, it is more than worth a 2 hour viewing if you want some backwoods action! I would rate it a B

rzajac An amazing thing about Catch Hell is how unexpectedly *watchable* it is. I really figured it wouldn't have staying power, yet it coaxed me in.Others have commented on the film's modest strengths, which are; decent writing, good acting, good pacing (the scenes that seek to capture the long waiting of a hostage situation like this don't feel interminable), good (if elemental) character development, good editing, interesting scenario.And, amazingly, the final scene (which ingeniously plays over the end credits) struck me as a profound redemption tour-de-force. Rarely have I seen such a cosmic message writ so bizarrely. I can think of one other example, off the top of my head, that comes close. And, when I say "redemption", I don't mean the redemption of a person. I really mean the redemption of this film from being a mere low-rent action/horror snack. I'm sincere about this: It says an important thing about the nature of grace; that you might encounter some at the very bottom of a very deep, very dark pit.Worth watching, even if only because you're fascinated by the promise of smart low-budget stylizing.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. Ryan Phillippe has hit the big Four-O, so it makes sense that he would want to explore the other side of the camera with writing, directing, and producing. He's had a pretty successful acting career given what could be termed a minimal lack of range and a quiet screen presence. His feature film directorial debut utilizes a script he co-wrote with Joe Gossett, capitalizing on Phillippe's lot in Hollywood right now ... the once promising star looking to recapture the magic with a "game-changer".The film opens with a dramatic shot of actor Reagan Pearce's (RP ... get it?) stunning mansion. We see him catch a flight to Shreveport, Louisiana and take a meeting with a slightly spastic director and blow-hard producer. He decides to stick with the project in an effort to re-establish his career ... he's just out of rehab (of course). The next morning, things go really badly as Reagan is kidnapped by a couple of Louisiana hillbillies and locked up in a swamp cabin.Brutal torture scenes follow and we soon enough learn that one of his captors (Ian Barford) is seeking revenge for Reagan's dalliance with his wife on the set of a movie. The plan is to destroy his reputation and then kill him once he is hated by all. The script attempts some Hollywood satire and makes some obvious commentary on the whole tabloid and celebrity world, but mostly it comes off as a bit self-indulgent for Mr. Phillippe.There are some flashes of interesting moments, mostly involving Stephen Grush as the second hillbilly with homosexual overtures towards Reagan. Unfortunately, the film does not take advantage of the colorful swamp setting and instead takes place almost entirely within the run down cabin. You will note dashes of Deliverance, Black Snake Moan, and Misery, but this one isn't at that level. Instead it comes off like a bucket list item for Phillippe ... director/writer/producer/star of his own film.