People are voting emotionally.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

A Major Disappointment

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

First time reviewer, but this was a tragedy that called itself a movie, and more than enough inspiration for me to sign in and write. Name a component of film-making and this atrocity cussed it out and b*tch- slapped it in the face.I adore horror. Even the most avid horror fan would be shocked at the dogs I have sat through and thought were OK. Don't get me wrong; there are other movies I would rate a "1" and feel was on par with this one, but something about this particular piece of crap just insulted me. Maybe it was the acting, particularly Erin McGrone's. She made me want to punch someone in then face and cry. There's something desperately wrong when the kids' acting is far superior to the adults'. Then there was the script writing, which was probably done by two drunk orangutans. I guess the part that pushed me over the cliff was that the concept was actually a GOOD IDEA. I wish Eli Roth had somehow been involved in the production, due to the mix of natural disaster and horror (a la Aftershock.) I hate to see ideas with potential go to sore waste. If it's this bad, it should be a standard one-aspect movie.A waste of precious time on earth.

I was expecting a lot from NAILBITER after the first five minutes. After all, in those five minutes I found out it was a well-shot and initially engaging film, one that took the time to develop character and situation unlike so many these days. I was hoping for something better than the usual run-of-the-mill horror guff.Unfortunately after just a handful of minutes NAILBITER gets significantly worse when the main characters find themselves holed up in a cellar to escape from an approaching tornado. After this point, they're trapped in the cellar FOR THE ENTIRE RUNNING TIME. In the dark. There's a mutant monster on the loose, yes, but he's barely glimpsed and seems incidental to the main storyline, which is just about those women sitting around in the cellar and complaining. Of course, there's time for a ridiculously over the top ending along the way.The film is very underwhelming for the genre. None of the cast are familiar and none of them give very good performances; none of the protagonists are likable either. Bloodshed is kept to a minimum, and the horror itself is limited to those dumb jump scares that work for very few people these days. In other words, there's virtually no reason to watch this.

Janet McGuire (McGrane) is a recovering alcoholic and is excited to get her Husband (Aaron Laue) back from the war. She is on the way to pick him up at the airport with her three daughters when a tornado warning hits. Janet realizes they aren't going to make it and takes refuge at the first country home she comes to. Seeing a storm cellar she rushes her family into it and waits for the storm to pass. Before they know it the four of them are boarded up and blocked into the cellar by the house inhabitants, which some of them may or may not be human. The family is terrorized in the cellar as they try to survive. This movie has a creepy set up and promises to be a great monster flick. However, this original set up never comes full circle. Writer/Director Patrick Rea keeps the creatures hidden for a good chuck of the running time and the audience sits around waiting for something to happen. The character build up is nice and we care about the family but Rea could have upped the creepy factor considerably and still kept his creatures hidden for the most part by showing glimpses and flashes of them. Well made and acted with a unique story this could have been special but ends up being a bit of a let down due to its potential.

Nailbiter is exactly what low budget horror is about. I can't believe what they accomplished with so little. It will literally have you on the edge of your seat the whole time! The directing is accomplished and the cinematography brings the story to life. The lady and the girls are so great that you really feel for them. I found the DVD on Redbox. If you get the chance get the DVD and watch the commentary...it's hilarious and they go into some detail on what it took to make the film. It's more work than most people realize, especially for low budget filmmakers. I would love for these guys to be able to make a sequel!