imatosser182
My intention was not to review this atrocious exercise in abysmality but the pathetic fake reviews have once again compelled me to even up the score.An interracial family that seemingly all hate each other head out for a countryside road trip. Presumably their destination involves family counselling because no one in this vehicle likes anyone else, every combination possible is at war, meaning their arduous journey is punctuated only by constant complaining and petty squabbling.As tempers fray and fatigue kicks in, their vehicle is overtaken by a loutish group of rogues who gesture provocatively and slow their vehicle down when the lead has been stolen. The father reacts the only way you would react with two small children in the back, by shouting, swearing, and attempting to overtake the offending vehicle again. By the time he has been convinced to put his thinking cap on, their car collides and they awaken to find themselves at the mercy of said rogues. You might as well ignore the following 40-50 minutes of the film because it never happened and is entirely pointless. Characters that don't exist futilely interact with each other. Unlike in some of the hundreds of other films that this has ripped off, the dream sequence or whatever its supposed to be, means absolutely nothing and has no bearing on anything. Incredulously this has been described as an 'original twist' by some users, and some even claim that it enhanced the end product. If "Dead End/Cold Shoulder" was only as long as the events in the film, a semi interesting short story would remain that might be worth an extra mark. An appalling waste of time, money, bandwidth and anything else that was expended on it
shaun242
We are often reminded that we have have the best film technicians here in the UK and indeed we have a solid movie history but so often we have trouble marrying that expertise with well produced movies. And this is a prime example. This was looking dire from the outset with the woefully amateur acting but I thought I'd stay with it until the end but it turned out to be clichéd, unimaginative drivel. It's just a complete embarrassment from start to finish and apart from Jamie Foreman I did not recognise anyone else in this mess so maybe the rest of the ensemble were hired on the cheap to play the Hillbillies? Do we have Hillbillies in the UK? Anyway, don't waste your time.
hantslass
Having seen the screener for hard shoulder my first reaction was....run it again...right now! I wasn't sure to expect from a relatively low budget movie by a rookie but I was mesmerised from start to finish. What, on the face of it, appears to be a psychological thriller/horror/fantasy type film, actually runs far deeper and is so cleverly written that even those looking out for it will feel they have missed some of the pieces of the puzzle. As a professional psychotherapist, I found the story line and portrayal insightful and accurate. As a film lover, I found it thrilling, captivating, even shocking in places. Talking to some of the cast after the screening, I was touched by the loyalty each and everyone had for the writer, director and producer, Nicholas David lean. It would seem that they admire his talent and creativity but also hold him in high esteem for his integrity and dedication to the profession. One actress said to me that she had never realised just how many layers where involved in the film, even though she'd played a main character! If you love psychology, horror, characters, some of the actors or just a brilliant film that leaves you wanting more, Hard Shoulder is a must- see.
Ian M Smith
It is my pleasure to recommend this very dark, chilling, psychological thriller with a difference. I was very fortunate to be invited to a private screening of 'Hard Shoulder' by a good friend. The film starts off with a bang and then slowly lulls you into a false sense of reality before taking you by the scruff of the neck and dragging you and it's fine cast into a chilling and very scary scenario. There are fine performances from all the actors on screen with 'Jamie Foreman' etching himself into your memory and for those who have fond memories of 'Jill Greenacre' from 'The Brittas Empire', this is a defining role in her career. A film of substance with a story line which will play on my mind for quite some time I think. I am looking forward and expect to see much more from this very talented director 'Nicholas David Lean'. The film I believe is not yet on general release. The sooner it gets out there and is seen the better.
AD
