knife, cutting several of them. Then as the opening credits roll we gather that some time has passed and the five guys are coming together to reconnect and do a little male bonding up in the woods at Tyler's cabin. Tyler has recently been released from the psych ward, has a fistful of pills to take, but is otherwise good to go. The other friends are Bobcat Matthew Amyotte , Chris David Patrick Flemming , Everett James Gilbert , and Jim Glen Matthews . They've all been friends for a long time and it seems they've all drifted apart as life has gotten in the way and carried them all off in different directions.From the very beginning of this one I knew I was in for something different; something that wasn't gonna follow the typical killer-in-the-woods formula. The dialogue was intelligent, the characters weren't broad stroke caricatures, and the shooting style and editing was excellent. As the friends gather we learn a little about them all don't worry; there's NO SPOILERS in this review and learn how for most of them their boyhood dreams have been crushed underneath the reality of "Everyday Life." One of them is sterile and is afraid to tell his wife outta fear she'll leave him; one is an alcoholic who works in a bar; one is in a troubled marriage with a bazillion kids; and one can't seem to grow up and find a direction in his life. One night when Tyler is out walking around in the woods to clear his head he comes across something unusual. He stumbles upon what appears to be some weird wall of energy. Investigating it more he finds that it's more of a corridor hey; we have the title of the film!! that seems to get longer. Tyler thinks he's losing his mind again and wants to forget about it. But then he starts seeing his dead mother and knows he needs to reach out to the others. He confides in Chris and the next day they all go out, under the intention of humoring Tyler, to check out this 'corridor.' The guys are shocked when it turns out Tyler isn't hallucinating or losing his mind at all. There really is a corridor made up of some weird kind of energy force out in the woods. The guys are amazed and excited about this find. Almost immediately they all see this discovery as a way to make their mundane lives better. This is the point where I don't wanna give away anything else about the story. Let's just say that the story ends in a lot of violence. A lot. But one thing Kelly and MacDonald don't do is leave us hanging. We get a great explanation as to what's going on. We come to understand, just as the characters do, exactly what the corridor is and why it affected them the way it did. There's some really brilliant writing going on here people!!The first half of THE CORRIDOR is definitely more like THE BIG CHILL than a horror movie. I categorize this in the "slow burn" sub-genre. But don't think that "slow burn" equals slow. Far from it. There's a lot going on in this film and Kelly keeps everything moving at a great pace. The last two acts will have you on the edge of your seats literally , not believing the turn of events on screen. The acting by the entire cast is top notch, and considering the five main actors are relative newcomers Glen Matthews appeared as a gang leader in HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN , they all exhibit a lot of range and talent and all look comfortable in front of the camera. I bought that they were all old friends trying to reconnect.But perhaps director Evan Kelly deserves the most praise. He creates a really amazing tone and atmosphere from the first frame that makes you feel ill-at-ease even during the scenes where nothing "bad" is happening. Kelly also gets some really amazing shots out in the woods and uses shadows and light to his full advantage. The editing by Thorben Bieger is also extremely well done. Even the opening and closing songs performed by the Canadian band Great Lake Swimmers was a brilliant choice in helping set the tone and mood.I don't know but maybe I connected with this movie because I've been going through a lot of the same the characters in this film were going through. We're all told when young that we can be "whatever we want when we grow up," and that the "sky's the limit." But after life, after real life, gets a hold of us we realize that we're not destined for something great. That if we're lucky we'll manage to be happy with our lot in life. That the "endless sky" does indeed have a bubble encapsulating it and thereby cutting off most of our choices. Life kinda sucks and what's really crappy is that you didn't even make the wrong choices. It's just the way life is. Like I said, it may just be me really connecting with this film, but I loved every second of it. I watched it for the first time on Saturday night about 9pm and when it was over I watched it again. It's a film that gets better with multiple viewings.I can't recommend this one enough.

I've seen since "Pontypool".

grown-up world. Their roles are further questioned when a member of the group, Tyler Stephen Chambers , loses his mother under suspicious circumstances that leaves Chris David Patrick Fleming injured and questioning the sanity of his life-long friend.In an effort to reconnect and help Tyler in the emotionally grueling process of laying his mother's ashes to rest, the 5 men decide to plan a boys' retreat to the cabin they spent so much time in in their youths. Tyler, grappling with his dementia an aftershock of the ordeal with his mother makes a discovery in the woods that will threaten the sanity and the lives of the rest of the group.The real terror in The Corridor is more subversive than the obvious antagonist and the depth of the film's themes skirt on the edges of such cult favorites as Fight Club, Donnie Darko and some of Lynch's more surreal efforts. The threat isn't so much the enigmatic force in the woods as it is the enigma that is silently killing the group from the inside: Who are you when you lack purpose? How do we define ourselves in a world that denies us definition? It is the the corridor itself that empowers the group and seems only to magnify their own personal problems into full blown psychosis.Although this might seem a little heady for the casual watcher, TC speaks to those of us who saw our role models revealed as villains, saw our fathers too humanized to remain out heroes and ultimately left us in a world without warrior poets looking forward to jobs we despise and positions in life that rarely treat us with any real moments of fulfillment. It is this alarmingly emotional character study of the group that elevates the Corridor to a film that actually surpasses its intent. For the horror fan The Corridor delivers some truly disturbing scenes of torture and madness driven degradation that sticks with you long after the credits begin to roll. It is in these moments that we see a group of actors that have struck their rhythm and deliver on all levels of the script, from the intense loss and longing to the stark insanity that characterizes the latter half of the picture. Director Evan Kelly has hit the ground running and I for one am eagerly looking forward to his next effort.Highly recommended.

that I wouldn't like the movie because the summary I read said it was sci-fi, but that really isn't the case. There are parts of the story that require leaps of faith, but ultimately in my opinion the movie is about the characters and how they interact with each other. It's unpredictable, but in a good way. The viewer doesn't feel manipulated, but rather their mind is opened to new possibilities.I won't give anything away I'm very anti-spoiler but I will say that after watching this movie you might feel differently about what really makes someone "insane".

was very well done. A slow burn with an excellent pay off. Highly recommended.

violence. Sure there's some blood, but you may find yourself realizing after you see this movie that you imagined some of the more violent scenes --thats because Kelly seems to have attempted to stay clear of a blood fest type showing and opted instead for a more nuanced approach -- sometimes you can imagine a more horrific picture if you are handed just a few pieces of the puzzle. The film introduces us to 5 friends who have shared a tragic experience and have come together to heal old wounds though each of them comes with their own personal baggage. When they encounter the Corridor, the baggage they carry becomes the fuel that funnels the feral. Kelly heightens the suspense of emotions slowly going out of control until we reach the point of no return and events careen to their tragic conclusion. If I have a criticism, it may be in wanting to have seen the escalation more drawn out and crafted but this is a film that has come together well beyond it's meagre budget and both Kelly and his DP, Chris Ball have worked marvellously in a cramped cabin set for well over half of the movie moving the characters about and toward their eventual fate so perhaps that type of wishful thinking comes with a movie of much greater budgetary resources and screen time. If you liked the pacing and visual appeal of Let the Right One In, you will want to see this picture.

character lose it from beginning to end, where as this film attempts to make the audience go mad right along with the characters. I won't lie, it takes patience to stay on board to the end but in the case of THE CORRIDOR patience pays off in the end.Full Review @ http://www.moviesonline.ca/ 2012/04/corridor-movie-review/

want to feel empathy with the lead actor Stephen Chambers but are forced to with the clever storyline and great delivery of the scenes. Your "Did he, Didn't he" dilemmas fade away as the atmosphere deepens, darkens and deteriorates until you find yourself willing Tyler on.Such is the skill of Kelly - from one emotion to another, with no effort involved - it just happens - and to be perfectly honest, it takes your breath away. The use of suggestive horror and gore is paramount in making a film a success, and here, whilst the results are shown, we're left to our imaginations as to how it happened.It's a difficult film to put into words without giving anything away, suffice to say, this is one film that shouldn't be missed.Evan Kelly has a very bright future in the genre if he can give us films like this, and I look forward to seeing his next work.A solid 8/10