"Cookers" sure was a nice surprise, as I expected very little from it. A good tagline for this one could possibly be "Tweeker Hell", or something. Because I've seen quite a few people act a bit "weird" while "under the influence", but those were a far cry from the way freak-junky Hector behaved in this flick. Man, that guy was messed up. Totally. The whole time. It might have been an accurate portrayal when it comes to "speedy" behaviour. It might have been exaggerated. But I do not want to even know how much dope it takes to make a guy act like him. Anyway, so the drug-part was pretty fascinating in this one, but the 'ghostly/haunted'-part was, well, pretty good (with the creepy stuff interacting with possible drug-induced hallucinations and all), but near the end it seemed like the movie went a little too "Blair Witch" for my tastes. Well, at least that's how it seemed, because unfortunately my DVD started messing-up near the end (pause-continue-pauze-etc), so I couldn't quite make out all that was happening there... Still, I'll gladly give this one another watch, just to see what's up with the ending.

Girlfriend comments1) "I had no idea it was this exciting!"2) "Did you know there was this much suspense?" 3) "I love this movie." 4) "This is so rad!"People afraid of horror movies but like offbeat or indie films should not overlook this title. This is actually not a horror movie at all. It's more like a suspenseful drug movie with supernatural overtones. There are no serial killers or monsters, and the filmmakers are uninterested in doing things many, more accomplished, filmmakers might do if they were to make a horror movie -- like inserting a pointless murder or similar scene of carnage just to keep things interesting. Cookers is one of those kinds of movies that seems like it should have been a play, or possibly was adapted from the stage. The dialogue is great fun, with sinister and paranoid ramblings scattered throughout. The cast is very strong, and seems quite comfortable with the dark material. Each of them is given a specific character arc that we get to watch them travel on, and there are some nice payoffs for each of them. The story definitely plays second fiddle to the creepy ambiance. This movie is all about the enclosure of these unpredictable characters in a claustrophobic, dilapidated setting. The dusty and abandoned old house is perfect. The production designer did some superb work on the interior—it's reminiscent of the wildly confusing layout of the house in Evil Dead 2. The music is perfect—it isn't manipulative or inappropriate, and has a studio-level quality that is very satisfying. Another strength of the film is how effective and consistent the quality of light is throughout; it never seems like there shouldn't be as much as there is, or that there is too little of it for all the sources present. The overall look of the film falls somewhere between video and celluloid; not quite cheap, but not glossy at all. 35mm might have been a more appropriate format, but it looks fine in standard. The sound, however, leaves much to be desired. At times it is extraordinary, but at other times dialogue levels are either disproportionate or completely inaudible. One of the most glaring weaknesses of the DVD is the lack of captions. For an indie effort, that's saying something—usually, there are either major continuity errors, logic blips, pathetic actors, and/or a lack of understanding of tone, story momentum, showing not telling, etc. The fact that this movie contains no real noticeable hiccups like these is quite extraordinary, and the creators should be proud of their work.

I loved this movie. I loved it because it was disturbing and it cuts to the core of all our fears, touches on every insecurity. It was a wild ride that respects its audience. It forces us to think and analyze or interpret. No cliff-notes here-- it is up to you to decide for yourself what the film means, what is happening, how it affects you. The acting was superb. Each character clearly defined and sussed-out. Brad Hunt gave a strong performance, if at times, slightly exaggerated. Cyia Batten's performance was impressive, gut-wrenchingly touching and extraordinarily brave, particularly being the only female to have to stand against two, very powerful men. Patrick McGaw was unrecognizable and fantastic-- funny and tragic all at once. In my opinion, awards should be doled out here to each one of them for what they brought to the table but if I had to pick just one, I would have to pick Cyia Batten, who plays the heartbreaking Dorena. It is not easy to embody vulnerability and power at the same time and yet she appeared to do it with ease. The editing can be dizzying at times, fast paced and over-stimulating but it fit perfectly considering the nature of the demons these characters fought. It almost got you into their heads for a time. Overall, I was moved, scared, saddened, angered, overwhelmed by this movie. I couldnt get it out of my head for a long time. I hope this movie does well, because everybody should see the raw, brutal truth of drug addiction annd losing oneself to their own private demons.

The premise for Cookers is simple; three white-trash crystal-meth addicts on the run lock themselves up in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Things quickly get strange for the trio as they begin to see terrifying and ghastly apparitions. Is it the massive amount of drugs their taking or is their hideout truly haunted?After I saw this film I kept thinking about it for quite some time. The acting is great (Brad Hunt is amazing once again) as was the storytelling and the direction. Cookers is the type of film a studio would never make. Everything isn't spelled out for you and there's no Hollywood type BS ending. You actually have to think about what you've just watched and have to make decision about what actually happened during the film.This is an intelligent Horror/Psychological Thriller that stays with you after the fact. The last move I saw like this that forced me to think was the brilliant Donnie Darko (even though that had themes of time-travel and sci-fi they somehow fit in the same genre).