Touches You

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

If you only like films with big explosions and shallow story lines, this isn't the film for you. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, twists and turns, indie, low-budget gems, then you will be pleasantly surprised. I am an avid film-lover, from the big Hollywood productions to the indie hand-held labors of love.This is an intense, complex, psychological thriller that is acted very well. The direction and cinematography impressed me a great deal. I don't find many films with smart, layered scripts. For the first 15 minutes, I was a bit off-kilter. It did jump around. But, I found if I just relaxed and didn't try to figure everything out, the film ended up more enjoyable. It doesn't spell it out for you or hold your hand the way that most big budget films do. This is a thinking person's film.Unlike some of the reviewers, I didn't find the ending confusing at all. I will say, though, that I did not like the alternate ending. While it was well-done, I thought it completely changed the tone and meaning of the story. I am one of those people who don't need a "happy ending" with all the questions tied up in a little bow. I like a little mystery. I like to stretch my mind.There were some disturbing scenes in the film that may put some people off. Without giving too much away, the dog thing was very hard for me to watch. It was one of those, "it's only a movie!" moments for me. There is not much gore, but what there is, is cringe-worthy.Overall, I recommend this film for those who want to mentally participate in the unfolding of a interesting and challenging story.

can really kill a movie. I was into this movie with a certain amount of curiosity. It kept me interested. Then it all broke lose. Take away the last fifteen or twenty minutes of the show and it is all good. Some, not a lot, of good gore was shown in this flick. That was one of the reasons i could not turn off the movie toward the end. I do not understand why people have to screw up a fair movie with so many plot twists and so much weird stuff going on. Leave it alone if it is working out! Quit ruining movies like this Hollywood! Actually we can blame Canada for this one. Anyhow, this is worth a watch if you can keep from banging your head into the wall during the last part of the movie. Would have scored higher for me if the ending was better.

Director Paul Fox' The Dark Hours does one thing extremely well that is a staple of horror--it makes you squirm. This is a very disturbing, occasionally hard to watch film. Viewers with sensitive constitutions should be forewarned.It's not so much that it's gory--although it is a bit, but Fox understands that the key to the effect he's shooting for is character development. So this is ultimately a small ensemble film--five characters in a couple of rooms, and we get to know all of these characters very well, thanks to both the writing, by Wil Zmak, and a fine set of performances. The characters are fully fleshed out and we can either identify and/or sympathize with them, so when some of them do terrible things to others, it has a lot more impact, and even when it's only a threat and there's nothing graphic about it, we feel it almost as if these events were happening to friends. The Dark Hours is very literally a psychological film, a fact reflected in its main character's occupation and the circumstances of the villainous characters.It's also a "rubber reality" film--those are defined partially through "shifting" realities, where we as an audience, usually along with at least some characters, don't know quite what was real, if anything. After the recent spate of rubber reality films that all used essentially the same plot--including Stay (2005), The Jacket (2005), November (2004), The I Inside (2003), and eight or nine others going at least all the way back to Jacob's Ladder (1990) and the short The Awakening (1990)--The Dark Hours very refreshingly uses different kinds of twists in its questionably hallucinatory succession of scenes. The ending of the film is clear enough while still being nicely ambiguous. There is also an alternate ending on the DVD that is less ambiguous, but I don't think it works nearly as well. More ambiguity is better in a film like this.And if you want themes and subtexts, Fox has them here in spades, including the desperation of those who know they're dying, the classic "who's crazy" conundrum between psychiatric professionals and their patients, and the turmoil of disintegrating relationships.But you don't have to pay attention to that stuff to enjoy this excellent film. Just sit back and squirm.

This movie is not worthy of seeing. Don't waste your money on unimportant drivel like this.Kate Greenhouse stars as Samantha Goodman, a doctor at a psychiatric facility. She learns in the first few minutes of the film that she has an inoperable brain tumor whose progress has only increased over the past year. She has hallucinations and occasionally will blank out and see people's mouths moving, but hear no sound. That's the first sign of things to come. Hmmmm....doctor....growing brain tumor....regular hallucinations....welcome to the stupid and predictable plot of The Dark Hours.Sam calls up her husband on the phone (she hallucinates that he's in her office talking to her) and tells him she wants to spend the weekend with him. He knows she is sick and has a tumor, but he is not aware of the results she's gotten from the most recent tests. He tells her that he is busy and he has to finish writing his book, so he can't. He will be too busy with her younger sister, who is apparently jobless and still living at home. She helps him "edit" his work.Sam leaves and proceeds to join them anyway at their cabin in the woods. Not long after she arrives, there is a knock at the door, and a stranger comes into the house. Then the unthinkable happens--a patient of Sam's who was in a coma and not likely to live suddenly shows up at their door too. Apparently the first guy is his accomplice, and they are out to torture and terrorize Sam and her family.What's going on here really? Will Sam be able to escape with her life? And what will happen to her husband and her little sister? You can find most of this info out from reading other reviews. I just thought I would add my 2 cents worth. I thought this movie was boring. The acting was poor, especially Sam's sister. The psychopathic drifter, the madman's apprentice, was also very corny and poorly acted. The plot twists were all supposed to be shocking revelations, but really they were simply predictable and staid. They've been done before, and better, in many other films. There was not a single moment of anything even resembling tension or scariness in this film.I got this film for free, so I can't complain about wanting my money back. However, to those of you who have not yet offered up your money, DON'T BOTHER! It's a huge waste of time. Go see something else that's more worthwhile, and leave this on the shelves where it belongs.