I don't mind a female survivor movie when done well, but this, as many others have pointed out was predictable plot with shoddy development.
Best part of the movie was the landscape and cinematography. Makes you want to travel there
Problem. Where was 'there'? An average American viewer is left trying to guess based on accent or perhaps some random knowledge of colloquialisms. You sort of had to guess Ireland, Scotland or Wales. If it was mentioned in the movie, I missed it. Even still, where in Ireland?
Same trope of City people smart. Country folk are angry murderous in-breeders that live in filth and are dumb. I bet you find a lot more houses of squalor in cities than in the country.
Character development. Really wasn't any. You quickly find out that the alpha woman has cancer, so she undoubtedly will be the surviving heroine. On one hand you can discount it as "Rah! Rah! Girl power!" since the two male protagonists are weak and submissive. However, as one reviewer pointed out, it was the women's decisions that led to their downfall at every turn. One exception was the character, Lisa. She was the only one with any brains whatsoever.
Everyone points to Steevy being the best character. The actor did a fair job with it. It's easy to overlook a lot of the bad acting due to the Irish accents, but the Steevy character, while most interesting was also overacted. With training, that actor could become an international film star though. He certainly had the right look. But the Lisa girl to me was the most underused. She was the guide. The experienced one. The smart, logical one. And the real hero. Her character doesn't come across as PC BS. She simply is the person with knowledge and experience...the guide. I have no problem with her heroics or decisions. Had they focused more on her in some way, it could have turned this film upside right.
To be honest, the two old antagonists were convincing actors...though their dialogue enabled probably anyone with a "weathered" look to do so.
The pace was too slow. Not a lot of urgency for the situation they were in. Loses the "Thriller" label there.
And what was the motivation of the antagonists? Is it a high crime to kill deer in Ireland? I don't know. It's never explained. Poaching isn't really a crime worthy of kidnapping, torturing and murdering outsiders. Was there a marijuana field somewhere that I didn't see? They just hate outsiders trespassing and don't want to pay a fine so they commit unspeakable crimes? I guess it's because they're ignorant country folk?
They mention destroying a 5G tower. Really? The telecom company wouldn't figure that out right quick and investigate? "We don't want outsiders near our place, so lets commit petty crimes to draw people to our place." The location was remote enought to be plausible to not have cell service, so why even introduce that? Silly.
