It's not going to win any awards, and the acting is not the greatest, but the story is interesting in a Stepford Wives/Wicker man sort of way.TV director/producer Michelle Maxwell MacLaren did a good job of presenting a story by new writer Michael Kingston in his sophomore effort. The actors are not the thing here, but the story, and it has probably been done before, but I found it captivating.If this town voted in this year's primaries, it would be a 100% vote for Santorum. It's that kind of town, and you better conform or they have ways of making you do so. The "doctor" has no medical training and doesn't need any as he has perfected the necessary procedure for dissidents. They don't need jails, because they will have your complete cooperation once they are done. Besides voicing concern, wanting to leave is considered a sign of sickness, and will be dealt with.The town's population has remained at 436 for over 100 years. They have elaborate rituals to make sure it stays that way. Like the Roach Motel, once you check in, you can't check out. It is the thinking behind this number that was the really interesting part of the film. I know people like this, and you do too.The existence of Rockwell Falls in America is very believable.

I'm very sorry, I tried to give this movie the benefit of the doubt but it didn't hold my interest. I don't care for movies that remain the same throughout the entire movie and never gives you a feeling of satisfaction at the end.The situations that came up were totally unreal and the characters were so dumb that I thought I was watching something written by a bunch of teenagers. It seemed that nothing good ever happened, and there was no redemption at the end. However, if you like movies containing blank stares, boring scenes, and ends as bad as it started, then by all means this is your kind of movie!

I'm almost 70 and a bit old for this type of film, but I'm actually a fan of suspense-mystery-thrillers, and while this one was not completely original, it didn't disappoint. First of all, I liked the lack of special effects. The cinematography was beautiful, and while some felt the movie was slow, I appreciated the leisurely pacing. The reviewers keep mentioning similarities to "The Twilight Zone", and "The Wicker Man" (1974 version I hope), and they are right. But it also resembles some aspects of "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and the ending was a little like the old EC horror comics of the 50's. They often would lead you in a certain direction, then surprise you at the end with an ironic climax which played against expectation. In this film, the evil doings and religious ignorance the townsfolk display leads the viewer to expect the perpetrators to be exposed and the hero victorious, only to instead find that the townsfolk are pleasing God after all. Tragically amusing! Jeremy Sisto did a fine job as the Census Taker. I haven't seen him since "Grand Canyon" from 1991, where he played a 15 year old. The rest of the cast was satisfactory. I found the script to be intriguing, and while some reviewers found it predictable, I liked how the ending tied all the loose ends together cleverly. Unlike most of the "in your face" sadistic graphic trash that passes for horror films today, this atmospheric suspense film is a very pleasant and entertaining surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and believe it is quite an original story, considering how many movies have been totally derivative in this genre.

'Population 436' tells the story of a Federal census taker visiting the small, rural community of Rockwell Falls to investigate the cause of its never-changing population. Featuring a citizenry of grinning simpletons practicing strange religious rights to protect their way of life, the movie is part 'The Wicker Man', part 'The Stepford Wives'. It comes as no surprise to find that director Michelle Maxwell MacLaren was a producer on 'The X-Files'—the film plays like an extended TV episode with a central mystery that could very well have been investigated by Mulder and Scully. Except it would have been better written and directed. 'Population 436' is pretty dull, made-for-television fare, largely devoid of any real drama or suspense and containing nothing to warrant its R-rating. The most shocking thing about it is the revelation that Fred Durst can act.