The Fields (2011)

hyped garbage

Absolutely Fantastic

A lot of fun.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

It seems that the majority of negative reviews here complain about The Fields not possessing the scares that the film poster promised and generally being boring (and, of course, the completely tasteless person who failed to appreciate all of the Cloris Leachmany goodness provided by Cloris Leachman.) The Fields is not a horror film, although it does have its suspenseful moments, and does seem to move at a somewhat sedate pace until the last twenty minutes. These things do not, however, make it boring or a waste of time.This movie is about childhood. It is about being that over-imaginative child whose life sucks just at present, and the things that truly are wrong feed on the fears of what could be wrong until every encounter and situation are completely fraught with tension. No, it doesn't always make sense and a lot of things that seem like they will be important plot points down the road don't play out at all -- but this is another experience of childhood, when so many things don't make sense and one never knows what is going to turn out to be important later."Don't go into the corn" possesses no more malice for the adults in the film than "don't run with scissors" or "don't chase your ball into the road" and it is purely Steven's bad luck that when he disobeys (as children do) he finds more in the corn fields than anyone is expecting. The presumably chromasomally abnormal relatives in the filthy house are no more menacing than most people's least pleasant relatives, but to a child's eyes their mental and physical deficits take on a spookier significance. There is no satisfactory solution for the viewer, as the plot bizarrely resolves itself into a tidy little package in the last few minutes, but when again considered through a child's perspective, this also makes sense. Mummy and Daddy are together again and with that crucial relationship restored to normalcy (as well as the resolution of the nighttime intruder,) Steven's internal world and world-view are suddenly rosy and full of optimism. It doesn't make sense because small humans don't always make sense, particularly when it comes to the way we observe them process their feelings. The Fields startled me occasionally, but the emotional tone was generally one of unease rather than terror or even fear. The plot builds slowly, with the climax and denouement practically tripping over each other in the final twenty minutes. The characters, like the plot, tended to produce a slight feeling of uneasiness, and even the two that Steven seems to love and trust the most (his grandparents) have moments where they come across as sinister. It is not a movie that I would recommend for spending an amusing evening in front of the television, but if you are in the mood for something that will make you think, then this is well worth your time.

This is not a horror film! It is a very good film, but it is not at all a horror film as it is widely promoted. It is a drama-thriller film.This film reminds me of the classic 70's early 80's thriller films, but it is sometimes funny too, with the unexpected Cloris L. very rude comments and behavior. She is magnificent in her role as a ruthless outspoken dirty mouth granny.The boy shows quite a lot of talent as an actor.The film is viewed from his perspective as he sees the events unfold in front of him at his parents and grandparents place.In brief, the film it is a bit slow (but not boring at all) and worth it to watch. It has some good scary and creepy moments.Enjoy it!

This is not a horror movie,It's drama from the beginning to the end,I must say that I quiet enjoyed the first hour of it, my imagination was exploding with scary and crazy thoughts but i don't what happens at the end of it exactly.. when the moment comes for this piece to explode with emotion and scary people nothing of that happens No it gets boring and weird it gets like those old horror movies that nobody wants to watch anymore because it's well "BORING" IT'S it's it's just "WEIRD"! I must give the kid some compliments because he deserves it...It's just a drama, If you want to watch it anyway please do me a favor "Just watch the half of it you will enjoy it" Thank you

Tells the story of a young boy (Joshua Ormond) and his family who are terrorized by an unseen presence.I went into this with intense hesitation, thinking that Tara Reid would ruin just about anything she touched. But the creators were smart -- they put her in a supporting role, limiting her screen time while also using her "star power" to get the film attention. Cloris Leachman has a much bigger role and while I would hate to say she shines here (she dimly glitters), she gives an interesting performance and plays against type.The biggest problem with this film is how slow it is. The pacing is good, but the overall story drags, and the suspense borders on the tedious at times. Few of the suspenseful moments have payoffs, which only adds to the aggravation.The general concept -- putting a creepy hippie story against the backdrop of Charles Manson's parole possibilities -- is an interesting idea, and the inclusion of public domain movies in the background was well-played. Both "Carnival of Souls" and "Night of the Living Dead" paralleled their scenes nicely.Was this really based on a true story? I have no idea. But it works regardless.