Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Excellent but underrated film

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The only good thing about this film is that it only lasted 70 minutes. Do not under any circumstances waste your valuable time on this film. The worst film ever made in the entire history of cinematography. The most tedious 70 minutes ever. Predictable plot. Appalling acting. No action. Bad direction. Overzealous 5 star sleeve reviews. An absolute stinker. How can anyone possibly write 10 lines of text on this abomination other than to re-emphasise the true awfulness of this film. All copies of this film should be incinerated as indeed as I have done with mine to save any unsuspecting viewer the agony of enduring this spectacularly dreadful offering.

Cherry Tree Lane is this year's Eden Lake, with an ending just as shocking and abrupt. The film is confronting and the most raw home invasion film I've seen in years. The film starts out pretty simplistically with a slow boil pace, with an older couple that is settling down in their home for the evening to eat dinner. In a moments time they hear their door bell ring and what any person would do they answer it. Thugs burst through and demand their son who isn't there, they then duck tape them and wait helplessly bounded. The film is such a nail biter because the viewer for most of the time doesn't know what's going to happen next and when it does it's off screen, but you hear the horror and that is even more disturbing. The film boils over into one harrowing conclusion; it makes you think how far would you go to protect your family? Just like such films as Eden Lake and Funny Games the performances are subtle yet powerful. The actors that play the troubled youths are a real standouts and you get to know a little about them and their flaws, than them just being figures of fear. All of the actors are pretty much unknown, which is a plus because you don't as high of expectations regarding their acting. Everything flowed in a tense, natural, gripping matter that made the viewing experience a mostly effective one.Director and writer, Paul Andrew Williams has already established a pretty promising career so far in this genre, with films like London to Brighton, which I really want to see now, and his other works such as the pretty decent but not great The Cottage and the very solid and chilling, killer kids flick The Children, which he wrote the story for. I'm pretty excited about what he is going to come up with next because every new film seems to be very different and slightly better than the last. He knows how to create suspense, confronting drama and how to meticulously build suspense and terror. He then mixes it together with a dab of dark humor to effecting results. Keep an eye on him! Overall, the film treads on a tired formula and doesn't have as much action, chaos or scares as some other more superior home invasion movies. The ending, though it kept me on the edge of my seat clutching the arms of my chair in anticipation of what's to come, left the viewer out cold of what the next move of the film will be. The conclusion bothered me because you don't really officially know the outcome. That being said Cherry Tree Lane is one of the most provocative British crime/thrillers I've seen in a while even though it's not that original.6.9 out of 10

Writer and director Paul Andrew Williams surely knew his stuff with The Children (2008) and The Cottage (2008). Cherry Tree lane tries to make a horror about strangers invading a house but this time it's more about some hoodlums who are after the son of the house who has been clicking to the police. I can understand that for some it all looks like it could happen with themselves or their neighbours but it is a bit low on brutality or red stuff. So I won't say it was bad but it was more a flick with a message if you just watch the end. I would rather say it's a kind of thriller, drama.What makes it more a thing that could happen to yourself is the fact that they spoke in their dialect. It surely shows how society is today but if you leave the message out of this flick then there isn't that much happening. The rape is done off-camera only to make the viewer think what will happen or what is going on upstairs. Maybe the last 10 minutes are a bit shocking for the easily offended but don't think that you will see Straw Dogs (1971) or The Last House On The Left (1972), therefore it doesn't have enough brutality or shocking moments. I can also understand why horror buffs don't like it. Just watch Inside (À l'intérieur (2007) instead if you want a gory disturbing house-invasion movie.Mixed feelings about Cherry Tree Lane and I can understand why. Acting was rather okay but surely not an exploitation as those 70's revenge flicks.

Prosperous professional couple Mike and Christine are settling in for a standard evening of wine, TV and low-level marital hostility when a ring on their doorbell changes everything.Their son Sebastian is in a little trouble with some local boys, who are quite prepared to camp out and wait for him to get home.The resulting culture-clash is raw, revealing and nerve-split-tingly tense......Be warned viewers, this is a grim and depressing movie, one not to be viewed with someone you have not known long.The claustrophobic setting only mounts to the tension, and the feeling of dread right from the moment we see the boiling broccoli, stays with you right until the last reel.There are some predictable moments in the film, The two main gang members are like good cop, bad cop. One having complex/complexion issues, the other being apologetic when the other isn't there.The acting is good, and the camera-work and set is haunting and sometimes quite visceral.There is no way out for anyone in this movie, and even the innocent are doubted in this, many will ask about the final frame 'did he have the knife/axe' or 'was he scared'.The film doesn't let up for the duration, and there were many times i had to heavy sigh, as it was very uncomfortable to watch.But coming from the director of 'from London to Brighton' and 'The cottage', I had a good idea it wasn't going to be a happy experience.Be warned though, if you do want to see this piece, it is good, but you won't feel very good after watching it.