the audience applauded

A Brilliant Conflict

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

After half an hour STILL I didn't know what was all about so it's amateurish. Hirsch is miscast heavily & he should stay in comedy genre. Ensemble movies? They are all failures incl. this one BORING piece of cry pseudodrama. Also that's too theatrical for a movie. You'd hate all characters. FAIL.

This is a great psychological thriller, that proves that with a good story and script, a competent director and actors can produce a great flick on a small budget. This one is all about the story - minimal blood, minimal body count (mainly historical flashbacks to war zones), and no nudity. Very well done, and look forward to future work from this director.Here comes the spoiler alert (watch the flick first):*** *** ***MK Ultra is mentioned once. Unlike most conspiracy nonsense, this was real, and involved the kinds of unethical experimentation touched upon here. We know about it now due to the Freedom of Information Act. It also encompassed such nonsensical experimentation as that semi-fictionalized in "The Men Who Stare At Goats."Remember the films you watched as a youth in PE or health class, about the dangers of drugs, and how LSD might make you think you can fly? One of the few times that actually happened was someone under MK Ultra, dosed on LSD without their knowledge - they didn't think they could fly, they were terrified because of the state they were in, without knowing why, likely expecting that this would be the state they'd be in for the rest of their life.

I am a thriller and horror film aficionado but this clever, suspenseful movie kept me guessing throughout. The character development, which is often lacking in today's thrillers, is akin to Hitchcock and Christie. The location, on a large estate in the dead of winter, sets the perfect tone for the movie. Excellently cast with stellar performances by Judd Hirsch as the father and Ryan O'Nan who plays Tommy, his troubled adopted son. C.S. Lee fans from Dexter will not want to miss him in this movie. As the film progresses, you begin to wonder if Tommy is crazy or if perhaps, there is truth to his accusations about his father. Caroline Lagerfelt, who plays Tommy's mother is the perfect mix of caring mother and doting wife. She remains neutral for most of the film although there is a pivotal scene where you can see her doubts rise. One by one, the family members begin to unravel. Mr. Wechsler has done a fantastic job developing the storyline, which leads up to an ending you did not see coming.

The Red Robin was a fantastic surprise for me. I was able to see it at the Hollywood Film Festival and was blown away by the film. Definitely the best film at the festival, and one of the best thriller's I've seen in a long time. The acting is first class and works perfectly with the tone and direction set by writer/director Michael Wechsler. I think it's incredibly hard to capture a story that takes place all in one location and in one specific time frame, and Wechsler pulls this off brilliantly. From the first moments, you accept these characters and wrapped up in the twisted reality of Dr. Shellner's Family. The twist was both surprising and totally believable. I hope this movie gets more exposure, it deserves it.