Excellent but underrated film

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This movie made me want to stitch MY eyes shut! I guess the Collector is really Dash from the Incredibles. Good God the equipment he carries in his white van. And so meticulously created. If you have the victims trapped why is all this set up needed? And what if none of the victims are worth being collected? He just kills them & blows up the house? Like that pattern wouldn't catch the attention of authorities. And his getting to the ambulance was truly a land speed record. This was just lots of gore, absurdity & mimicked slowing down to see a car wreck, for those of us who sat through to the bitter end.

The Collector (2009) is a very thrilling horror film that will keep every member of the audience on the edge of their seat dying to know what happens next. This is a horror movie that's not for everyone though, because of how graphic and realistic it is at times. The actors are well cast and I think they do a great job with their roles. The main character had just enough depth and backstory for the audience to care about what happens to him. I liked the set up for how the house and everything was set up. The house was basically rigged as one giant death trap by the antagonist, the collector. The thrill factor is very high. In my opinion, this movie is far more thrilling and anxiety inducing than it is scary. I wasn't all that scared by it, but it did cause me to be on the edge of my seat. If you're looking for a good thrilling horror movie that is well acted, then I would suggest this one. I have not seen the sequel, the collection, but I plan on it. I'm interested to see where they take it, I'm hoping it picks up right where this film leaves off. And I won't spoil anything for anyone, but I'm hoping this movie's ending gets a little more closure. 8/10 for The Collector.

Being a fan of horror can be a bit rough sometimes. Because on the whole... this is a fan-base that can never quite seem to completely agree on what works and what doesn't, and the in-fighting is rampant and sometimes disheartening. I think it's because ultimately horror and terror are subjective experiences. There's no one thing that scares everyone, and what might work wonders for certain audience members will feel tacky and dull to others. You see it every time a film comes out that builds some serious buzz... It will be simultaneously hailed by one side of the fan-base while being derided and ridiculed by the other. And director/co-writer Marcus Dunstan's 2009 home-invasion freak-show "The Collector" is certainly no exception.Having followed Dunstan's work alongside his writing collaborator Patrick Melton for some time, I went into "The Collector" excited to see what sort-of insanity they could cook up. And I wasn't disappointed. Wild, subversive and very wicked, I found the film to be a refreshing and endlessly entertaining trip into depravity and I absolutely adored it. And yet, just like so many other horror films I've admired, I see it to be a hotly debating and polarizing experience for many viewers. Which is a shame, because I think it's well-worth checking out. Yes, you can pick apart the film's liberal use of suspension of disbelief and sometimes cartoonish atmosphere, but what's the point? The film knows exactly what it is aiming for and is never taking itself to be a completely grounded and realistic film. It's a trip to Hell, where the worst-case scenario is playing out for the sake of entertainment and suspense.We follow ex-con Arkin (Josh Stewart), as he goes on that mythical "one last job" we hear about so much in the world of film. In this case, robbing the house of a wealthy jewelry dealer in order to pay- off loan-sharks that are threatening the safety of his wife and daughter. Knowing the house inside and out from his day-job there as a carpenter for renovations that are being done, Arkin sneaks back inside one night to relieve them of a precious ruby they have kept, locked away in a safe. But things aren't what they seem, and it soon becomes apparent that Arkin isn't the only one who chose this night to break in. A devious and torturous madman has broken in and is keeping the family hostage, having rigged the house with dozens of booby-traps to keep them from escaping. And so, Arkin must set out to save the family he originally intended to burgle.The game is essentially a prolonged 90-minute game of cat-and-mouse where the stakes are torture and death... and it's so much fun to watch. Director Dunstan has a knack for building suspense, and his smooth, slick camera-work helps build a tremendous amount of dread and terror. The camera often feels like a viper, ready to strike at any second, and the sense of flow and composition lends well to many breathtaking sequences of tension. The script by Dunstan and Melton is also a blast and a half, and once it gets going, it never lets up. The stakes rise with each and every passing scene, the atmosphere builds consistently from beat to beat, and the characters are all instantly defined and established with ease. I also appreciated that the duo injected some much-needed black humor into a few key sequences so that the suspense is never overpowering and doesn't lose its edge.The adversary of the film (the titular "Collector") is one heck of an antagonist, and makes for a great modern contemporary of classic horror villains. He's kept mysterious and vague, but also gets just enough screen time that you get a sense of personality. He's a great foe for our anti-hero Arkin to face, and I could definitely see the concept being used for an ongoing franchise, because there's great potential there. Speaking of which, Stewart makes for a compelling and both troubled but sympathetic lead. He gives Arkin a heart beneath his dark surface, and you totally believe him in the role. It's nice to see Stewart getting a starring vehicle in a major film. Supporting roles by the likes of Michael Reilly Burke, Karley Scott Collins and Robert Wisdom are also very well-played and flesh out the cast well.The only thing I can say to the film's fault is that it is very much reliant on the good-will of the audience... something that has clearly turned many off. As I brought up above, the film uses (and sometimes abuses) the concept of suspension of disbelief, and unless you're willing to give yourself over to it, you may find yourself drifting from the narrative. I personally never had a problem with it, but evidently others have. Still, beyond that, the movie is clearly striving to be one thing above all else... fun. And I think it's a lot of fun. The villain is menacing and eerie. The protagonist likable and charming. And the twists and turns and sense of dread completely enthralling. I was very engaged with the film the first time I saw it, and have revisited it several times since. And it's never gotten old. It's sharp, witty and incredibly intense. And for that, I give it a very good 8 out of 10. I'd say give it a shot, and be willing to cut it some slack. It's definitely an underrated and under-appreciated film of the genre.

If you are looking for a movie that will keep your mind on the film and make you forget about everything else for the duration of the movie, then this is it. The story is original and it will keep you entertained and most of all guessing. It has a great claustrophobic atmosphere. The film gets into the action very quickly. The film has a true dreadful feeling as the trapped burglar Arkin played convincingly by Josh Stewart (The hunted, Law abiding citizen) tries his best to save the family and escape. Stewart gives the character depth and emotion. Marcus Dunstans direction is excellent as he admirably builds up the tension and suspense. He is the writer of Saw 4, 5, 6 n 7, Feast 1, 2, 3 n Piranha 3DD. The traps are some of the best to date. This movie is very scary and intense and well acted. The camera work is excellent and the film comes across as extremely dark and claustrophobic. The soundtrack is perfectly in tune with the feel of the movie and really heightens the timing of each of the scares.