A couple of years ago I did manage to speak to writer/director Merlin Ward who like nearly every British screenwriter was having problems getting money for his projects and was suffering the heart breaking experience of seeing his screenplays sitting on a shelf gathering dust , so when I heard one of his projects was finally going into production I felt happy for the guy . Alas after seeing OUT OF BOUNDS I found myself asking couldn't one of Merlin's other scripts have been more deserving of funding ? Some people haver mentioned that the look of the film is at fault and the whole feel of the movie has that made for television look similar to one of those feature length plays found on ITV during 9pm on a Sunday night . This is certainly true but it's the screenplay that's at fault . The story starts with an art teacher at an all girls school having sex with Louise one of the pupils . It should be pointed that Louise is 18 and well above the age of consent but I couldn't help thinking this doesn't make it all right in anyway and I watched this the same day as a certain Scottish football team revealed that their new coach was someone who spent time in jail for having sex with a 15 year old so sure as heck I wasn't going to empathise with the characters Problem number one: I couldn't empathise with the characters but that's not the major problem with the script which lies in its contrived over complicated nature in the last third . Rmember when you saw RETURN OF THE KING in cinemas ? Remember everyone started reaching for their jackets and handbags half an hour before the final credits ? We have a whole series of similar false endings here where you think the mystery has been cleared up then BANG Mr Ward decides an already over cluttered screenplay isn't complicated enough so he adds yet another plot twist which makes the story more and more ridiculous as it trundles along Merlin I hope you make a success of your career but remember one thing - Less is more

I'm actually no big fan of so-called thrillers. But out of different reasons I occasionally watch one. Since I admire Sophia Myles' acting I decided to order Out of Bounds but didn't really know what to expect. But I was positively surprised. There are only a few characters in the story but every one is being developed well. Thus the characters are believable, which gives a film MANY plus points. The ability of the director to tell the story without ever failing to rise the tension and suspection is awesome. While the story's unfolding we never know what we're supposed to believe - we are allowed to make up our own minds. When the next twist comes we'll probably change our opinion again ... and again and all the while we enjoy great entertainment. The high amount of tension etc doesn't leave the film sparse of humour. And even though many will agree that it is not an every day story (we don't all go to boarding schools where we have an affair with the married teacher, who later disappears, and are then hunted by nightmares) we totally forget this because everything (the characters, the script and the acting) is very much drawn from real life. All of this makes it a rare film that makes you wonder why it so far hasn't got more recognition!! It is certainly a shame! After watching the film I had my head full of thoughts and was for a long time not able to decide what it was that made the film so appealing to me. I have come to think that it's the perfect combination of everything in the film. And for me what is really standing out are the totally natural actors/actresses and that once in a while I'm again thinking about the film. Well, I will certainly not regret the day I ordered the film.

How rare to find a film that depends less on special effects and "in-your-face" horror, and leans more towards suspense and implied danger. Just as a good paperback thriller makes one want to turn the page, watching this, one wants to leap off the sofa to protect the young protagonists! The lack of exotic locations suggests a rather tight budget, but the story is none the worse for it. After all, an old motel, a shower curtain and a bit of up-lighting served Alfred Hitchcock rather well! Good performances from experienced stage performers and newcomers. This is the sort of piece the UK national broadcaster should be commissioning, not the kitchen-sink dramas that plague UK TV screens. The director should be applauded for taking that old staple, the murder mystery, and giving it an entertaining and contemporary twist.

I thought this was a fantastic English thriller, and very well cast. It was gripping, the twists were fantastic, and it was lovely seeing that a great film can be made without spending a ridiculous budget. As a girl who has been to boardingschool it really was thrilling! I'd highly recommend it!