Repeaters (2010)
Directed by: Carl Bessai
Written by: Arne Olsen
Starring: Amanda Crew, Dustin Milligan, Richard de Klerk
REPEATERS (2010)
Directed by Carl Bessai
Three former drug-addicted young adults, Kyle, Sonia and Mike, are allowed out of their rehabilitation clinic for the afternoon for the first time. After each fails to successfully do anything positive with their time, they return to the clinic and wallow in their rooms more depressed than ever. A wild, windy storm roars throughout the town causing a power outage at the rehab centre and all three receive an electric shock from the light switches and appliances. The next morning, the three awake to discover events are happening exactly as the previous day and it’s not just deja vu! The group discover that they are stuck in a ‘groundhog day’ style scenario, with Wednesday set to repeat itself over and over again. At first, it’s an opportunity to do things they’ve never dream of doing before, like shoplifting, breaking and entering and even stealing cars, but soon things start to get out of control as events take a sinister turn. Kyle, Sonia and Mike must discover why they are stuck in this perpetual loop and how to get out of it before it’s too late!
If you like films who’s main plot is to repeat itself, a la Groundhog Day, then you’ll enjoy this Canadian teen thriller. The three main characters are very likable at first with the viewer feeling rather sympathetic for each one of them. As the film enters the time loop, we see them get up to mischief and it’s fun to see them doing stuff they wouldn’t normally do. You may even question yourself what you would do if stuck in that scenario. However, a line must be drawn and as the the day continues to loop, their activities become worse with the group bordering and eventually crossing the line. Even though each days actions are erased when the morning starts again, Kyle, Sonia and Mike are full aware of the previous days’ actions. So what may not affect others definitely affects them, with the knowledge and memories of everything they’ve done, good or bad. We witness them making decisions and learning what they need to do in order to escape the loop. Let’s face it, they’ve got enough attempts to try if they don’t get it right first time!
REPEATERS features a handful of young horror actors, with lead character Kyle Halstead played by Dustin Milligan, who’s previously starred in The Butterfly Effect 2, Final Destination 3, Slither and Shark Night 3D. Kyle is tormented by his past behaviour towards his family, in particular his sister, but wants so badly to set things right between them. He tends to keep level headed out of the group, but sometimes his anger gets the better of him. Love interest ex-addict Sonia Logan, played by The Haunting In Connecticut actress Amanda Crew, is quiet natured and guards a lot of secrets, though can be easily led on at times. Lastly there’s Mike Weeks, played by Richard de Klerk, who comes across as an oddball when compared to his comrades. A rebellious type, he sees the opportunities that the repeating day has for them and takes full advantage of it.
There’s plenty to enjoy here, even if the odd plot string is a little predictable. The repetition aspect of the film never gets tiresome though, with something new being added to the mix each time the day is repeated. I found myself deeply invested in these characters as I too tried to workout with them how to approach the next day, knowing full well that the day could continue as normal at any moment.
The camerawork in REPEATERS is fantastic and not the dreaded shakycam, thankfully, with the film taking us to a variety of locations, not simply just the rehab clinic. One of the best shots of the movie is when the three visit the dam. You get a real good feel for the scale of the thing and lord knows you wouldn’t want to fall down there.
For horror fans, there’s not a huge amount of blood in this movie, but the terror that is implied and executed in other methods are enough to shock.
As far as thrillers go, REPEATERS is a neat one that doesn’t require too much thought yet has a nice twist to it. I’d say if you liked films like Scream and Final Destination, then you’d enjoy this. It may be aimed at the teen crowd but those older will find something good to take away from it. This is a tense, action-filled drama that will go down well with a pint and a slice of pepperoni and cheese on a Saturday night. Just don’t have a curry, else you’ll find that, like the film, will repeat on you. 😉
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