The Reeds

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Lionsgate presents the fourth installment of its “After Dark” series, and “The Reeds” is one of the eight movies in the series.

“The Reeds” begins when a group of six friends decide to party in their private boat. Soon after, a freak boating accident leads to a casualty. In the heat of the moment, a few of them venture out into the reeds to seek assistance, and they soon find themselves terrorized by a group of group of punks. Eventually, all of them come across a shotgun-wielding, black-hooded guy. After that, it is a battle to stay alive and find a way out.

For a moment, let us examine the similarities between “The Reeds” and another film of the same kind, “Cabin Fever.” Both movies have a group of friends camping out in a desolate place in the wilderness, with each group having a person who thinks more with his muscles than anything else. And, of course, to spice things up, we have a bunch of beautiful women who can’t think sensibly on their feet. Sound clichéd? It is.

As I said, after watching “The Reeds,” I can’t help comparing it to “Cabin Fever,” the latter being a better effort overall. That said, the shotgun-wielding guy resembles, in concept, to the chainsaw killer in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Similarly, following a familiar pattern of other horror movies, the idea of a killer guarding his territory hardly strikes any note of originality. The story is predictable, just like its characters, who are waiting for things to happen. By the time viewers are caught in this mishmash of emotionless, supernatural, horror adventure, the movie slowly limps to the finishing line. In addition, the movie feels like an “X-file” or “Fringe” episode; Agent Dana Scully or Agent Olivia Dunham could have easily solved the case.

Having said this, not everything is bad in the movie. The director takes his time building the atmosphere, using reeds as the backdrop. Moreover, the use of gore is minimal, although there is one scene that will probably leave you disgusted. Ultimately, however, all atmospheric choices come crashing down as a result of a poor script with underdeveloped characters.

Video:
Considering the low-budget nature of movies released in this series, I was prepared for an amateurish picture quality. However, I was impressed with the video quality for this release. The outdoor scenes are bright and vibrant, with a perfect balance in contrast. A few aerial shots look really breathtaking. In the nighttime scenes, the grain is present as an aesthetic choice, which provides a gritty experience. Overall, the movie’s transfer looks quite impressive, which Lionsgate presents in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

Audio:
Lionsgate offers a regular 5.1 Dolby Digital track for this release. In the opening scene, we hear loud gunshots with a lot of punch. During the more serene night scenes, the audio adequately presents atmospheric noises. In addition, the dialogue is clear and consistent throughout. Altogether, there is little to complain about this soundtrack. Also, included is the option to view the movie in English and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release, not even a theatrical trailer.

Parting Thoughts:
“The Reeds” could have worked better had it been a satire; however, the filmmakers along with the actors take this effort too seriously. There are a number of movies that have used the themes shown in “The Reeds” to a good effect. Nonetheless, due to its episodic nature, the movie never grabs one’s attention and does not break any new ground. Maybe if the characters would have read the book, “Boating for Dummies 101,” they could have improved their situation.

Final Ratings:
Video = 8/10
Audio = 9/10
Extras = 0/10
Film value = 4/10

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