Imagine Kate's shock when she spies a man coming towards the house from her vantage point on the second floor. He's bloodied and stumbling towards the cottage, so she and Martin rush out to help. Although he has passed out on the couch, Kate and Martin are terrified to realize that the man is carrying a gun and they remove it from him waistband, with Martin hiding it in the bedroom. The stranger, Jack (Jamie Bell), reveals a shocking piece of news - a respiratory epidemic is spreading all over Europe, killing everyone who comes into contact with it. Once he gains his strength, he tells them that they must seal the house against the viral predator and they can leave and take their chances if they want, but once the house is sealed, they can't return. Due to the bad weather, they decide to stay.
Things get more tense as Jack begins sealing up the doors and windows, complete with plastic sheeting and boards, expecting the couple to help. It soon becomes apparent that Kate and Martin are now his prisoners and his behavior towards Kate becomes disturbing and frightening. When Martin makes an escape attempt out the skylight, he discovers some things that reveal that Jack might not be telling the whole truth. Martin and Kate determine to survive their ordeal together, no matter what the cost.
When I read the synopsis of Retreat, my first thought was "zombie apocalypse," which naturally intrigued me. While this isn't quite the case, I still thought the movie would be a good thriller. As soon as I read the back cover, I had my own thoughts of what was truly happening and I wasn't far from the truth. The thing is, this is a British film and apparently seeing a man with a gun is absolutely horrifying since they are illegal there. I live in Louisiana - yeah, Sportsman's Paradise. So the scene where Jack's gun is revealed didn't have much impact for me, personally. Overall, the film just wasn't that frightening and I kept waiting to sit on the edge of my seat, but it never happened. While the acting is competent - after all, we are talking about three very good actors - Retreat just didn't wow me. The ending left me cold and I just wasn't a fan. The film isn't horrible by any means, it just wasn't as thrilling as I had hoped.
Special features include a photo gallery, which is actually a 4-minute piece with scrolling photos of the film, plus a 15-minute featurette on the making of the film. However, the film's soundtrack is gorgeous with lots of violin pieces that really work the nerves.
If you are looking for a nail-biter, Retreat isn't it. If you are looking more for a tense drama, this might fit the bill for a rental.
