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River

Play trailer Poster for River 2021 1h 33m Sci-Fi Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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40% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
A troubled woman embarks on a journey of self-discovery to uncover the truth behind her disturbing visions and nightmares.
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River

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
David Stratton The Australian The film’s soundtrack is majestically augmented by a specially composed music score by Richard Tognetti. Rated: 4/5 Mar 30, 2022 Full Review Valerie Kalfrin AWFJ.org River fails to build much suspense. The first inklings of sci-fi turn up about halfway through the film's running time, which for some viewers might be too little too late. Aug 3, 2021 Full Review Emilie Black Cinema Crazed The performance by lead Mary Cameron Rodgers is on point though and she really takes this film from something that could have been forgettable to something that is worth watching. Rated: 3/5 Jul 16, 2021 Full Review Jared Mobarak The Film Stage You can't have us invest in a human story only to figuratively (and in some cases literally) tell the characters to unceremoniously ignore it for something else. Rated: C Jul 13, 2021 Full Review Nathaniel Muir AIPT A confusing science fiction movie that never seems to know what it wants to be. The ending feels undeserved while the writing alternates between mediocre and horrible. Jul 13, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (4) audience reviews
Valerii Ege D River is a documentary film voiced by Willem Dafoe. The documentary about the place of rivers in our lives, where they came from, and where they are now is very informative and visually impressive. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/16/22 Full Review Audience Member Fresh Allegory for Alienation - River follows a long tradition of achingly introspective, dramatic sci-fi all the way back to Asimov. Immersive, character driven stories that require one to do the emotional work along with the protagonist rather than just be passively shocked and prodded for an adrenal squeeze every 58.2 seconds. I was delighted River is not another of the formula retread, timed-to-the-trope, boiler-plate plotters that have taken over sci-fi cinema. Instead, River is a thoughtful, dramatic, psychological suspense that leads you into the dissociative fugue of being alien unto oneself. So, those who can and enjoy swimming the deep, wade on into River. Writer-Director-Cinematographer Emily Skye throws us, along with the gossamer Mary Cameron Rogers as River Allen, into that uncomfortable limbo of awakening to find you've been living a lie. Having watched twice now, I believe the experiential nature of this film, the 'sitting-in-discomfort' so needed in current times, along with Skye's fresh take on a lesser-known, classic sci-fi incarnation is what won River 30+ awards. Any student of film or lover of European cinema will recognize the unnerving vibration of early Tony Scott in Emily's production, calling to mind Scott's 1983 'The Hunger' starring David Bowie, Catherine Deneuve, and Susan Sarandon. Though Scott had a decade producing big budget commercials and MGM studios and coin behind him for directing 'The Hunger' (which was first panned, then lauded), Emily Skye, gets close with this bare-bones, truly indie debut. In River, we will follow Mary's ethereal acting anywhere as lost girl River and float with her on Rona Castrioti's portentious score, supported by a talented cast of: Courtney Gaines as Dr. Glenn, Alexandra Rose as Amanda, Rob Marshall as Jaime, and Becki Hayes as Lois. The intimate performance direction and quality acting talent rise up together with the score and visuals holding us in River's distrust and suspended animation of disorienting anxiety. Ripe for the times, River's ill-fated quest for normalcy is coolly wrapped in the origin story of a non-standard earthling. If I had one critique for the filmmakers, it's that the quality of the visual story-telling was so strong as to render the internal-monologue voice over completely unnecessary, which then allows her mother's 'voice' greater showcase, but that's a knit pick. Skye got it all on the screen sans explanation, a skill uncommon to 1st timers. Would love to see a more confident cut omitting that bit of telling to let the showing stand on its own. Societally, and personally, we've all been lied to by those we most trusted and lied to ourselves as a mask for trauma, fear, or shame and rarely known where or even how to start down the path of rediscovery. And if you've never been through the abject longing, aching, and insufferable desperation to crawl right out of your skin, well, it's nearly impossible to convey to others, and that's what makes River a genre-bending, neuvo-retro sci-fi, making it okay for us to sit inside the suffering. Skye captured invisible, subdermal angst and slides you into that pupa for gestation. When the lights come up, exit the chrysalis, and spread your wings. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member I'd rather eat shit than watching this Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member OMG my Mary is an amazing actress and she did an amazing job in this movie! She could've warned me though to get my tissues out lol! I love you so much Mary and congrats on the movie😘🥰 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
River

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A troubled woman embarks on a journey of self-discovery to uncover the truth behind her disturbing visions and nightmares.
Director
Emily Skye
Producer
Emily Skye, Krizia Vega
Screenwriter
Emily Skye
Production Co
Shewolf Films
Genre
Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 13, 2021
Runtime
1h 33m
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