Overhill (2012) User Reviews

I enjoyed it.

[innes_muir-20191 · 7/10 · 10 November 2023]

I first watched this about 5 or 6 years ago, after a long search trying to find it on a streaming platform. I seem to remember enjoying it, partly because my grandma used to live in Pendeen and we had many a family holiday down there as kids. Creepy graveyards included.

I thought about the film today for some reason and thought it would be good Friday night viewing. I searched high and low for it, nothing on Prime and forget Netflix. Finally found it on Vimeo, which I then streamed to the tv over airplay.

It"s well worth a watch, beautiful Cornish landscapes and scary locals set the atmosphere. It betrays it"s £600 budget on occasions, but I think it pulls it off for the most part.

Straw Dogs and Peckinpah it ain"t, but you can see the influences. Loved the graveyard and pub scenes. Agree with another reviewer that the music doesn't really fit, but at that budget one can hardly expect a Hans Zimmer score.

Give it a go.

good horror film, some flaws

[remembervhs · 8/10 · 23 January 2014]

This was a rather good thriller/horror/comedy film.

The shots of Cornwall were nice, and a few in particular were quite beautiful. Most of the film was build-up, and it was quite well done. The first part of the movie is a mix between creepy and funny, a good mix. The townspeople were absolutely excellent.

There are a few problems with the film. Most of this review will be criticism although I really did enjoy the movie. I feel like criticism can be valuable and I'll give mine for whatever it's worth.

At times the camera was "too indie" in what the cameraman decided to frame. Sometimes it worked well, other times it struck me as trying too hard. There is a technique used in the film where the camera cuts to a shot of something in the room where the characters are for a moment, and then back to the characters. This, I liked a lot. Other times it was too much.

A second problem was the music. I liked the music, but there was too much of it. The intro has a song, the opening credits have a song, and there are several more songs throughout the movie. Again, I liked the music, but it seemed like too much to me.

Finally, the ending was a little problematic. I couldn't see much. At the same time, I understand why it was filmed that way. So a minor complaint, I suppose.

If I had to draw a comparison, it would be to Trigger Man, a Ti West film. There are many differences, and this film is more polished, but both films build suspense well and are worth seeing for fans of lower budget thriller/horror.

Long review, sorry. Good movie. Go see it.

Creepy stuff

[rjbatchelor2501 · 9/10 · 21 May 2018]

Excellent low-fi movie in a genre I love (see The Wicker Man and Straw Dogs, could we call it Xenothrill) which was genuinely spooky and well-made. In this genre, what a pity Betheny's Children was never completed! That would have been Cumbria, but the Cornish atmosphere here makes up for it!