Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

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

If you love black comedy and have lots of time, I will recommend this dark and bright movie.

I had been avoiding this film for a while after watching its trailer before. Because I really can't stand watching movies full of unlikable characters which seem to be a trend these days. However, I came across this movie again one day and started reading reviews on IMDb, I decided to take a chance. Mostly because this is a film of the directer of "Excision" and I liked the film, and also I was curious to see the dynamics and dialog between these "unlikable people".In conclusion, I liked it!The dialog in first half is pretty funny, rather whimsical. I found myself giggling in some scenes. To me, they are not unlikable (except for the grandma;she is a disgraceful worthless c**t), they are just deadly honest and no filter or sugar coating when they talk to each other, I would say which can be a good thing unless hurting your partner's feelings. Owen is an emotionally pretty broken person, he can't relate to other people, perhaps even to himself. I don't think Owen particularly hates Isabel's brother or her friends, it's just that is who he is. Probably Owen doesn't even understand why people take everything he says personally. Although it doesn't justify how he behaves in front of others, taking this into consideration helps understand him. Isabel actually seems worse since she acts like a civilized person and yet, her remarks towards Owen sound very personal and abrasive. Whereas Owen, we can see that he was trying to meet her half way with his awkward manner in spite of his lack of empathy. To be honest, I found it was quite heart warming.However, after they arrive at Owen's grandmother's house, things slowly start to turn a weird direction.I suppose this director sees Annalyn Mccord's value in a way other people don't see (Definitely he doesn't want to use her just as a pretty eye-candy...). As "Excision" took a weird turn towards the end, this one also goes to the same direction. This director seems to like making the story a little bit positive and ease our tension, before displaying its sudden dark ending. Somehow he is good at making me feel facing-the-end-of-the-world type of depression with his films. I just didn't know what to do with my sense of loss caused by its ending. I was very sad for a while after watching this movie.Overall, this is not a movie for everyone, I even see why some people don't like it, but if you find the trailer amusing, go for it. But the movie doesn't stay that way. Don't forget that it is categorized as a horror movie after all...

Richard Bates Jr's first film "Excision" was a film that stuck with me for a long time after I watched it, it was very unique and incredibly bizarre. So when I saw that Bates had a new movie coming out I was pretty excited to see what else he was capable of. While not nearly as memorable as Bates' first film, "Trash Fire" does have a bit of dark charm and was an interesting experience. The first thing that really stuck out to me in this film is the fact that just about all the characters are unlikable, everyone is somewhat of a jerk and everyone is pretty judgmental/critical of others. This wasn't a bad thing though, it actually worked pretty well and went smoothly with the premise of the film. As unlikable as all the characters were they were also very interesting, and were the best part of the movie in my opinion. Our main character "Owen" (played but Adrian Grenier) is mean and dismissive to just about everyone he meets and even when he's trying to be nice he still comes off as a dope. But once we learn more about Owen's family it becomes clear why he is the way he is, and that he may actually be one of the more normal people in his family. The story was alright, although it had a bit of a "Lifetime Movie" feel, but the dialogue really sets it apart from the overly simplified movies that come on that network. The conversations that the characters have throughout the film are actually pretty engaging, something you rarely ever see in a horror film. It's a good thing that the dialogue was well done because there is a lot of it, people who are not fans of dialogue heavy films will definitely be put off for the majority of this. I thought it worked though, and I found myself intrigued to see what the characters would say to each other next. Another thing that I think is important to point out is that this definitely isn't a traditional horror movie, in fact I've seen a lot of people make the claim that this isn't a horror movie at all. I would disagree though, while there isn't a masked mad man running around or a spooky ghost haunting people, "Trash Fire" does have a overall tone of horror and the final scene definitely creeped me out and left me with an uneasy feeling. It was refreshing to see the genre approached in a different kind of way.This won't be for everybody, but I enjoyed it, like "Excision" it was fairly odd and a little quirky. Worth checking out for people who don't mind a lot of dialogue and a bit of a slow pace.

The only likable people in this movie were the wait staffs in the restaurants. The leading couple seem to be staying together because no one else will have either one of them. The grandmother is a delusional, murderer who wraps herself in the bible. The clergyman is a child molester. The long dead parents are torn to shreds in every flash back. Little sister is practically held captive by her grandmother. She is disfigured, gay and mentally ill. The cameo by Matthew Gray Gubler as an hypocritical religious zealot was a nice touch. As was the seizure during the sex scene.Wonderful performances all around. You can dislike / hate each character and feel sympathy for them at the same time. Except grandma--she sucked. There wasn't a web of lies, deceit and murder to be caught up in as you would be in a classic thriller. The long held, dark secrets are never revealed to the cast.The viewer sees all but, not the players. Two rounds from a twelve gauge and a wordless epilogue close the movie.