An absolute waste of money

A lot of fun.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

This absolutely horrid waste of celluloid is not only incomprehensible, it's something far worse -- slow. Ten seconds between each line of dialogue. It's that bad. I mean, PAINFUL. Excruciating. Worst direction of a horror film/thriller in the history of filmmaking. The idiot who directed it should never be allowed on a movie set ever again. EVER!!! Gellar mumbles all her lines in her usual monotonous, brain-dead trademark style, as though she's reciting the phone book half asleep. Runs around with sleeves covering her hands in typical, infantile teenage-retard fashion. Sam Shepard's not too bad -- but he's in this sorry snore-fest all of 30 seconds.Watch this film, and then kill yourself. Or do yourself a favor, and kill yourself first. You'll be glad you did.

The best thing about this low-key supernatural chiller is the presence of Asif Kapadia as director, although what he's doing here is anyone's guess. Kapadia's a director who's difficult to pigeonhole, and he clearly isn't at home with this otherwise routine story of a girl who may be possessed by the spirit of a murder victim. For a far better example of the kind of film Kapadia excels at, check out his exceptional FAR NORTH.The presence of Sarah Michelle Gellar immediately reminds one of THE GRUDGE, but to be fair THE RETURN never depicts cheesy apparitions or predictable scare sequences. But that doesn't mean it's very good. In actual fact, it's a bit of a bore, one of those films with a too-slim plot that seems stretched out beyond all reason in order to sustain a feature-length movie. Thus half the stuff that happens on-screen (such as the scenes involving Adam Scott's villain) is totally extraneous to the main story.The film's well-shot but the scripting below par. Gellar once again struggles to bring life or vitality to an underwritten leading role, and you start to wonder if she's really cut out for movie parts. There was some novelty for me in seeing ex-NEIGHBOURS actor Peter O'Brien in the supporting role, but he also has little to do other than look moody and mysterious. The supernatural elements are subdued, the mystery elements too dull to entertain, and come the clichéd climax I was ready to switch it off. THE RETURN is a film that never once lifts from the norm.

I just saw this movie yesterday...I cannot believe the reviews on this site. The ones that give it over one-star must be Buffy fanatics. Well, I am a Buffy fan of the first order, but I know crap when I see it. On every level, this film is terrible. Technically, much of the time you don't know where you are in this movie, even within one scene, it jumps POV like crazy for no reason. No logic whatsoever in cinematic terms. Emotionally is bleak for bleak's sake and attempts to be a psychological thriller when it is just confusing. Throwing nasty-looking red-necks in your movie is a cheap way to convey "atmosphere". I ran out of patience with it a long time before the last act, but I was having too much fun with my friends doing MST3K riffs to turn it off. Since leaving Buffy, SMG has had 2 successful movies, if even listing "Scooby Doo" on your resume could count. Gellar is a fine actress, but she (or her agent) sure can't find a vehicle for her. And Mr. Shepard, if you are having trouble paying your mortgage, I'll send you a few bucks if you promise to not appear in a movie like this again! ( Also, the estate of Patsy Cline should sue for defamation! )

The Return is one of those under-appreciated thrillers that was marketed as 'horror'. For horror fans, beware, The Return does not have gore, it does not have people screaming, or cheesy chase scenes or killers. This is a more sophisticated adult mystery film. The Return is thankfully, different than modern-day thrillers. It has a slow pace, but has very beautiful imagery and cinematography. The acting is solid, and Sarah Michelle Gellar commands the screen with her quiet presence. Many people might feel restless, but at the end, the film's twist relies a lot on character and exposition, and that is why The Return works. It has many themes of life and death, together with some usual scares and some character drama. I was very pleasantly surprised, and I hope The Return gets the recognition it deserves in the future. It is one of the best, and most unique, thrillers of the decade