Now on DVD: Shredder

The next new episode of Bones isn't until next week so, since there wasn't anything worth watching on TV (at least not until after we planned on being in bed) I talked my wife into watching another slasher movie with me last night.

I had two choices. The first one (in honor of April Fool's Day) was a film called April Fools. But, the plot of that one seemed a bit too familiar and I was afraid it would be predictable. So, I decided on the second one; the 2003 movie Shredder.

I did not regret that choice.

The movie is about a group of friends who break into an abandoned ski resort (the one girl's father is extremely rich and plans to buy it) so they can go snowboarding. While there, they learn the resort has a tragic history and, years earlier, a little girl was killed by a group of snowboarders who weren't following the rules. And, shortly after that, the friends find themselves stalked by a masked skier who kills rule breakers by any means available.

I should begin by saying this movie does have a lot of B-movie elements in it. The murders have plenty of blood, there are sporadic and unexplained outfit changes, some of the actors are too old to be playing college kids, the victims make things easy by wondering off alone and the girls....well, let's just say they are friendly when it comes to men (at least if the men have a European accent). I think the one girl spent more time walking around half naked than fully clothed (despite the fact it was freezing and she knew there was a serial killer coming after her).

The characters also seem to lack emotion at times. The hero watches his friends die and nearly gets killed but still cracks jokes. And, the stranger they picked up at the gas station is depressed over the little girl's death and the potential murder of some of his friends but it doesn't stop him from having sex in the hot tub two seconds after telling his story.

What really impressed me about this movie, however, is the plot wasn't all that terrible; mostly because it keeps you guessing. There were quite a few times when I thought a certain character would die only to see them live for a few more minutes and, even though I was able to correctly guess who the killer was, the movie did throw a few curve balls that had me second guessing myself a bit. And, even though it involves ignoring a major hole in the plot, (I don't want to elaborate too much because I'll give away a major plot point) the way this movie ended was definitely unexpected.

Final Opinion: The movie is obviously low-budget and there are quite a few scenes that might have you rolling your eyes a bit. But, it is also a film that exceeded my expectations and, because of that, I have no problem recommending it if you are looking for a slasher film to watch one stormy night.

Average Netflix Grade: 2.6 stars out of a possible 5.

My Grade: 3 stars.