ATM (2012) Directed by David Brooks

In all honesty, I can really see why the film-makers thought that this movie would be a good idea and something that could work out well. You can really tell that this movie had some good ideas in it but things aren't really thought out well enough and the movie is incredibly flawed, mostly due to its story.

These sort of thrillers/horror movies set mostly at one location, are somewhat popular now days and this movie obviously tried to have a go at it as well and ride on the success of the genre. Nothing wrong with that, as long as the movie is good, which obviously isn't the case with this movie.

Problem is that its concept is ridiculously flawed and not thought out properly. The movie doesn't exactly feature, what you could consider, a tight plot. It's build around the concept of 3 people being stuck inside an ATM because outside there is an hooded maniac, looking to kill them, as soon as they get out. Now, this is something that could had worked if things got written a bit more tight and complicated. But this is all there is to the movie really; 3 people being stuck inside a small building, with 1 guy lurking around outside. It's really silly, once you really start thinking about it. First of all, it's 3 versus 1 and it's not like the guy has some sort of superpowers, or is armed to the teeth. I'm not saying that they should had taken on the guy but surely they could had ran out quite easily, the moment the guy was at the back, trying to break into the ATM. The movie is filled with moments like this, that just are plain stupid. It just far too often doesn't make sense and because of that, there also really is no true tension in this movie.

The movie still thinks it's being really clever at times, mostly toward its end, when the 'twist' comes but let me just tell you, the ending simply makes no sense at all and doesn't explain anything. It only makes things look more flawed and ridicules and besides forced. Why do these sort of movies often feel the need to have a 'surprise' ending in it? Sometimes a movie is simply better off when it's being more straight-forward and not by trying to be clever and surprise its audience.

This was an obvious low budget production, which becomes apparent through its looks but also really its acting. No, I definitely wasn't impressed by any of the acting in this movie, which was perhaps another reason why I just wasn't taken at all by it.

But it still wasn't a movie I hated watching. I guess it's too short and harmless for that. Maybe the more casual movie goer can still get some enjoyment and entertainment out of this movie, as long as they don't spend too much time thinking about its plot. But even those people have to admit at the end that this is a far from great or effective enough movie.

Really can't recommended it.

5/10

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