People are voting emotionally.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

The Hamiltons is a movie which is geared for horror fans where the horror is not of the supernatural kind. The film moves at a fairly slow pace. The Hamiltons sort of reminds me of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. However, the Hamiltons does not have all the gore that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre has. It dos have some gore. I wish that storytellers would come up with other scenarios rather than a Texas Chainsaw Massacre do-over. It's been done, again and again. The characters are shallow and so is the plot. This is a good movie to have a TV watch party to. This is a late night movie. Popcorn all around here. Try to get something out of the movie.

The fact that The Hamiltons opens with a pretty young woman (Brittany Daniel) bound and gagged in a basement desperately trying to free herself and escape, let's us know right off that there is something far more wrong with the title family then dealing with the death of their father and mother. And while the Butcher Brothers play this horror out to an extent like a family drama, this is far from your average family. The story is told through the eyes of Francis (Cory Knauf) the youngest of four siblings who is not only trying to deal with the death of his parents but, his role in this very unusual and very homicidal family. Then there is David, (Samuel Child) the oldest and the one who is trying to keep the family together when not bringing home strange men for evenings that end in screaming. Next are Darlene (Mackenzie Firgens) and Wendell (Joseph McKelheer) the twisted twins whose lack of restraint keeps this family on the move. And, finally, who (or what) is "Lenny" that needs to be kept locked up in a cell in the basement and evokes fear even in these four. So just who are the Hamiltons and why do they keep captives and corpses in their basement? The Butcher Brother's answer all your questions and by the closing frames you may be delightfully chilled by the answers. The directing duo (Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores by name) approach this material in a straightforward, no frills manner and it works as if we're watching some twisted and blood soaked Lifetime drama about a struggling family… one with real skeletons in their closets, so to speak. The cast are all fine. Performances range from good to adequate. The real standout is Rebekah Hoyle as Samantha, one of the Hamilton's captives who overcomes her horror and fear to try to manipulate the troubled Francis into letting her go and running away from a family he doesn't appear to fit in with. There are some disturbing moments and blood flows when the Butchers decide it's time to bring their slow burn to a boil. The Hamiltons is not a traditional horror film but, that's what I liked about it. It kept me guessing and creep-ed out and then got downright chilling in it's final revealing act. A refreshingly offbeat low budget horror from a directing and writing team to keep an eye on.

User Caustic Pulp did a good review; here's my version. The less you know going into it the better it'll be. Four siblings try to restart their lives in a new town after the untimely death of their parents should be sufficient synopsis. The film reveals a bit too much of its hand from the beginning. The tension and intriguing characters would have benefited from a more minimalist approach to the creep factor. I could have done without the first minute and half or so of pre-credit footage (beginning the film directly with the VO and home movie) as well as the somewhat cheesy 'creature' sound effects (they're a bit of a spoiler); I would have rather seen this unfold as a particularly unsettling and edgy family drama (until the last act). As a result, the clever twist is at once over and underplayed, coming off as a gimmick. This said, the idea is original, the camera is excellently handled and the performances are solid from a cast of relative unknowns. It will be intriguing to see how the sequel works out, I'll certainly see it.

This begins like it's going to be a kinky sex and torture film, with sequences featuring beautiful young women captured and strung up in a dungeon-type area. For a better idea concerning where the story is going, try to pay more attention to the "narration" given by protagonist Cory Knauf (as Francis), youngest of "The Hamiltons" family. As Mr. Knauf explains, the family began moving around after the death of their parents. The head of the family becomes eldest son Samuel Child (as David), who the script winks might be gay. The middle two siblings are twins Joseph McKelheer (as Wendell) and Mackenzie Firgens (as Darlene), who have an incestuous interest in sexual three-ways. The family has one of those "dark secrets" you often see in movies like this...Anyone questioning "The Hamiltons" secret should keep an eye on Knauf's teeth...Although the secretive screenplay is neither original nor unpredictable, filmmakers Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores do score some points by playing around with a different delivery than you might expect from the opening; for whatever reasons, they didn't go far enough. There are several gaping, unfilled plot holes. The three men really look and act like brothers. Goth-tinged sister Firgens must be a fraternal twin. Another sibling is hidden away; however, when you look at "The Hamiltons" story as a whole, this really wasn't necessary. The haunting end title song "What I'm Running From" by Pete Johnson highlights the film's musical luster.***** The Hamiltons (11/19/06) Mitchell Altieri, Phil Flores ~ Cory Knauf, Samuel Child, Joseph McKelheer, Mackenzie Firgens