Harm's Way (2007) Movie Review, Film Still and Poster

Canada 2007
Director: Melanie Orr
Cast: Kathleen Quinlan, Hannah Lochner, Ingrid Kavelaars, Dan Petronijevic, Claudia Wit
Rating:
Release Date: 28 June 2003
Running Time: 1 hour 23 minutes

The Movie Review

You know, there are so many thriller or slasher movies these recent years that show the villains as vividly scary, by the first look you could tell that he is the evil one. And by He, I mean the bad person is almost always a man. Remember the movie of Alfred Hitchcock called Psycho back in 1960, where the villain looks normal from the outside and way abnormal from the inside? Now, that's what makes the tension and suspense ticking. Afterwards, copious slasher movies came along with most of them uses male as the villain. This time, it's a woman! And this time, it's not just a mere thriller, but also actually thrilling.


HARM'S WAY
Storyline:
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Headlined by one talented actress, Kathleen Quinlan, which has recently appeared in the remake of The Hills Have Eyes (2007), Kathleen successfully lives up mysterious and eerie persona into this movie. And Harm's Way could not be more right to have her performing in it.

Darlene and her daughter Victoria are seeking a refuge on a safe house in a remote area. The owner, a middle-aged woman named Bea is accustomed to accept many women looking for a place to hide, usually from their abusive spouse. Darlene (Ingrid Kavelaars), who is addictive to smoking and drinking, at first only finds that Bea (Kathleen Quinlan) is a rather uptight woman with several strict rules that Darlene and Victoria (Hannah Lochner) have to obey as long as they're staying in Bea's house. However, Darlene smells something is weird going on, especially when she hears strange subtle sounds coming out of the barn that Bea forbids Darlene to go near to.

Unlike other horror film, where it depends on exotic location or women flesh, Harm's Way takes place in the house and its surrounding area only. This is a horror movie that depends on the acting quality of its actresses, fortunately Kathleen, Hannah, and Ingrid could live up the expectation. Kathleen, who has been gracing the screen since 1972, is undoubtedly giving another solid performance of her. And Hannah, the Canadian actress that has appeared in numerous TV movies, could balance the acting quality of Kathleen and Ingrid. It's important for them to act very well, because most of the time, the audience would only see them until the movie ends.

Nevertheless, this movie also has its flaws. Most notably that it feels sometimes that this movie is too quiet. At this point, quiet doesn't mean suspenseful, although suspense can be found in many scenes in Harm's Way. But quiet means there's not much going on. And the camerawork also sometimes monotonous. A little thing actually, but had it been better, Harm's Way would have been more thrilling.

I'm sure one of the reasons why you search for a horror movie is to feel the thrill right? To feel your heart beating with unsettling anticipation. This movie is it. The power of idea is the strongest point of Harm's Way, and it's a pleasure to put this movie on the list of Horror & Thriller genre for Harm's Way is the place where thrill and suspense take place firmly.