Did you people see the same film I saw?

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I was kind of surprised to see "Take me to the river" receiving such a low ranking by the community here. Though this is far away of being a Hollywood blockbuster, it uses the tools of lower budget movies well in my opinion and makes up for some lacking production value through its excellent storytelling.The movie evolves around a family reunion, the question what happened to a small girl and what secret the family keeps. In doing so, it manages to depict side topics such as identity, conservatism and pressure in families. All those topics are taken seriously and are depicted in a suitable way.The film is not always easy. There are scenes raising unpleasant questions and concerns and surely this is nothing to relax after work. But it shows quite well how a family in a certain environment can become a perfect host to injustice and cruelty. There might be other movies dealing with the same topic, there might even be better ones. But "Take me to the river" is in itself an excellent movie and I don't have much criticism.

Yes, most movies coming out of Hollywood are formulaic, unoriginal and always follow a very restricted set of structures and stories. Yes, movies that are out of the mold, more subtle and that appeal to the intelligent participation of the viewers are to be cherished.Still, I found Take me to the river way too cryptic. There aren't enough clues to hazard one or two solid interpretations. The storytelling is too open, and one leaves frustrated.I like open-ended, I don't like non-stories.On the plus side, the acting is very good, and the atmosphere is as electrical as it is sexually charged, for those who like suspense and do not dislike being taken a little outside their comfort zone.In my opinion, with a little reworked screenplay, it could have been a very good, perhaps an outstanding film.

A film that feels like it's good, but it's really rather insufferable at every turn, with characters doing really stupid, nonsensical things. It feels like a film that the director thought was really something quite special and that feeling makes you dislike it more. I guess it's not awful, and there's something to say for it always kind of remaining interesting, but that also makes you feel more cheated because it feels like it has a lot of things going on under the surface and it really doesn't. Definitely infuriating, no doubt. The acting is solid for the most part, although there is some broad characterization in some of the performances. Just not very recommended, in all honesty.

The father, doesn't come across as supportive, or interested at all, in his son's well being except in 1 dialog. The movie appears to be about 1 thing, but really its about something else that happened in the past. The buildup is there, but the full explanation isn't verbally given in a way that all parties would understand, but the point does get across to those who need and must know it. The weird actions are all explained by that conversation at the almost end, however you the viewer are left to wonder a few things. The actions of Rider's parents are bewildering at one point and seem to defy the actions of a true parent. It doesn't start to make sense until the movie is almost over. This would have been better if it had been longer!