Black Rock review

What started out as a girls weekend end in a fight for survival

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It's a bad day on Black Rock for old friends Kate Bosworth, Lake Bell and Katie Aselton (who also co-wrote and directed), visiting the eponymous island to dig up a time capsule they buried as kids.

After a low-key set-up – all childish recollections and catty recriminations – they meet three ex-soldiers who’ve set up camp for the night, and the film takes a turn into darker territories.

Strong on performances, though weak when the call to action arrives, this isn’t quite the distaff Deliverance promised, but it’s a credible indie thriller with characters worth caring about.

Freelance Writer

Matt Glasby is a freelance film and TV journalist. You can find his work on Total Film - in print and online - as well as at publications like the Radio Times, Channel 4, DVD REview, Flicks, GQ, Hotdog, Little White Lies, and SFX, among others. He is also the author of several novels, including The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film and Britpop Cinema: From Trainspotting To This Is England.

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