Whitetail

This movie was extremely dark and made you think. Filled with intense moments but was paced well. The actors did great and the story was interesting. I was annoyed with the ending because it didn't go where I thought it would, but it I guess that it was still good. Really crazy characters.

I got sucked into the woods as I watched this one play out. Fun, unusual characters. Great traditional filmmaking. Writer / Director Derek Presley is an homage to raw, instinctual, pulpy films that resonate with Texas southern personality. A guy's movie!

I rented this without much hope of it being good. I was pleasantly surprised to not only be entertained but actually caught myself thinking about the film afterwards. This is not a horror film. That's the first thing people should know. It's also not an action movie. The scenes are intense and the overall message may be too depressing for people to like but I thought this was exceptionally well made. Definitely not represented the right way through the fact it was in wal-mart and the cover looks like it's a different kind of movie. Why this wasn't in festivals or something is beyond me. My wife and I try to go to the Atlanta Film Festival when we can (we've been three times) and this would have played really well there. THE GOOD Very good movie and has some depth I honestly didn't think it would have. Opening scene was great. Complicated move. Music was good. Another scene was a shootout between the characters. It was done with a great deal of reality. Was a sense of dread. THE BAD - The film may be too slow for American audiences. The scenes are great and the pacing is pretty good but there is a lot of talking and one must be patient to get the pay off. Most people my son's age (20s to 30s) just don't want to watch slower paced films. Not that that is bad but it's just a matter of preference. The film also has a rather drab ending that I didn't like but I guess understood it was that way for a reason. Pessimistic message. Overall I recommend but you need to know what film you're renting or buying before you do it. If you think it's a typical thriller you'll be disappointed. If you want to watch a film that hits you in the gut, then you'll like it. 7 of 10 - mostly because the acting was extremely good and I loved the old school look of it.

The team behind this is the same team behind so many other terrible movies that have to buy ratings to trick people into thinking their good. It doesn't work and people aren't convinced. The movies are bad and if enough people just come out and say it then the illusion is broken. Sorry but this is another bad attempt. Give it up.

Whitetail knows exactly what it is, namely a Southern Gothic thriller with a minimalist approach to its themes. It's not a "feel good" movie, nor does it pretend to be. It's reminiscent of a Cormac McCarthy novel with a side of Deliverance (other films such as Frailty and A Simple Plan come to mind). If you're looking for a traditional good versus evil film with a large budget, then don't bother. If, however, you're looking for a pessimistic yet strangely cathartic story about the possibility of redemption, then you'll most likely enjoy Whitetail. I personally did. If you "get it," then it's an easy four stars out of five. Any rating below that tells me the viewer probably watched it with a very different set of expectations that didn't align with what the movie itself sought to achieve in the first place. Speaking as someone who appreciates the Southern Gothic genre as a whole, I hope Derek Presley (the writer and director) continues to use it as a model for future films.

And boy does it feel like they tried. If anybody tried to tell me that the people making this were trying to actually make a good movie I would have to laugh at them and call them a liar. Theres no way somebody could make something this bad on accident.

I've been a huge fan of Derek Presley's film for years. I'm glad he is starting to get the recognition he deserves. This movie has his style all over it. The movie is beautiful. It combines the calming Texas landscape with a truly unnerving story. Every actor brings their unique and flawed character to life. This not only keeps you guessing about who will come out on top, but also who to root for. You will be doing yourself a disservice if you miss this movie!

I watched this because I saw Paul T. Taylor was in it. I grew up a Hellraiser fan and while I didn't like it, I loved his take on Pinhead. So I was fortunate enough to see this early and I have to say...I was honestly surprised how good it was. It comes off like a masculine survival film but it's actually way deeper than that. The characters are well developed. The story is traditional (finding bag of money and getting chased by bad guys) but it's always moving forward and entertaining. While there is a ton of dialogue and sometimes it bogs down the flow, it's still really well done and the actors are great. Pinhead (Paul Taylor) is awesome and not what I thought he would be. Overall good film and surprised it wasn't in some festivals...