Highly Overrated But Still Good

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

David's brother's overdose caused the young man to produce blogs about suicidal thoughts which gets him sent by his worried parents to a boy's institution ruled with nasty authority by "The Captain"(Diamond Dallas Page). A restless spirit lurks about and it could have something to do with a "gauntlet" ritual where The Captain sends a boy to be punished through a rigorous series of obstacles while throttled with clubs by the young men of his ward. The Captain's own nephew, it seems, come up missing while in the middle of an attempted escape due to the swamp which surround Driftwood. Meanwhile, David(Ricky Ullman) must endure constant scrutiny and harassment at the hands of not only the Captain but his staff and the boys of the ward. Uncovering the reason behind the ghost he continues to see could be David's chance to expose the Captain and his corrupt leadership. DRIFTWOOD reminded me of many of the Asian "Onyro" flicks where a past incident, a covered up crime, produces a spirit of the victimized seeking peace through the downfall of the killer(s). The movie introduces us to a protagonist who will help the spirit find retribution. Diamond Dallas Page uses a Southern accent and knows how to play menacing slime. We know the moment Page's Captain first appears on screen he's not Mr. Goody Two Shoes. Through David's experiences, we get a first hand look at how Driftwood is operated. Page has the kind of grin that contains all kinds of sinister behind it. Tame compared to something like BAD BOYS, DRIFTWOOD shows troubled youth further tainted by a despicable leader who takes advantage of their difficult pasts to fulfill his own agenda of control. You can often spot Jeremy Lelliot(as tormented homosexual Noah, the only ally David seems to have)in low budget horror or on television. Baelyn Neff is Captain's sexy daughter Myra, whose seductive nature can be very helpful as an informant for pops. Ullman spends most of his time morose and sullen. Director Sullivan is probably best known for 2001 MANIACS, starring Robert Englund.

not great nothing new.ghost looked like a mask for 2 dollars for Halloween.production value is OK compared to the budget...i got bored, and had to fast forward to get to end, which was well untouching.some of the production team members are writing comments of praisal, and giving 10/10 ... we'll those people suck.a a anot the worst... but definitely NOT a good movie. wouldn't miss anything by skipping this one.

After just viewing the screener of DRIFTWOOD with a couple of mates, I was very impressed with this little known thriller. It had a pretty good storyline, a troubled teen, David, riddled over the guilt over his brothers death, he actually becomes obsessed with death. His misguided parents send him to DRIFTWOOD, an "Attitude adjustment camp for troubled youths" which is run by a sadistic Captain, played superbly by Diamond Dallas Page, and his brutal young henchmen. Once inside the camp he becomes haunted by a spirit named Jonathan, a former inmate who met a mysterious end, David has to unravel the mystery in order to free himself from the sadistic camp. Great acting from a bunch of relatively unknowns, and a great script make this one of the great finds of 2007, believe me if you like to sit and get stuck into a film, not expecting blood and guts, but a good suspense/mystery, this is a film you must watch. It reminded me a lot like STIR OF ECHOES. Strongly recommended 8/10

I saw Driftwood Saturday at the Fango Weekend of Horrors. At first I thought Ullman would just pull off some low-end Disney acting, but he was actually very good. You can see a smoldering in his eyes that I didn't expect him to be able to emote at all. Also, he gets to use his real name for the credits in this movie, Raviv. The poster still shows Ricky though.My expectations were low for Diamond Dallas Page, but he was good. Oddly, I thought the scenes in which Page didn't speak a lot were better than the ones in which he did. But if he can keep getting better than you never know.Driftwood is NOTHING like 2001 Maniacs. I tried not to think about Maniacs when I went in to see this movie. I didn't need to bother. I wouldn't think Driftwood was by the same director as Maniacs if I had gone in blind. The movies are vastly different in approach and feel.I have some fun facts for this movie I am afraid to put in here because they might mildly spoil the movie. I do suggest seeing Driftwood. A good ghost story with multi-layered social commentary. The acting is much better than I think most people expect from a B film so don't let that be a deterrent.