The Culling is written and directed by Rustam Branaman with cinematographer Frederick Iannone and executive producer Jerry Fruchtman. Cast members include Jeremy Sumpter (“Friday Night Lights”), Elizabeth Di Prinzio (Scary or Die), Brett Davern (“Awkward”), Linsey Godfrey (“Bold and the Beautiful”), Chris Coy (“The Walking Dead”), Virginia Williams (“How I Met Your Mother”), Johnathon Schaech (Quarantine) and Harley Graham (“Grey’s Anatomy”).
“The Culling tells the terrifying story of five college friends who head out of town for a fun-filled long weekend. Their plans change after they encounter a 7-year-old girl alone at an empty cafe along the highway and have no choice but to drive her home. When they arrive at her house it s quickly apparent they will have to stay for the night unaware of the evil nightmare they are about to encounter.” – AMAZON
Finally! A supernatural feature film from a smaller production company that is not found footage! I’ve been waiting for one of these for some time now. To be honest, though, I was expecting something different based on the synopsis and a popular urban legend, and that ended up being a good and bad thing. Going with the positive first, the fact that the film went in the unique direction that it did instead of the predictable route kept me guessing until the very end. On the negative side, the story wasn’t as fleshed out as I thought it would be and it didn’t always make sense. There’s a pretty big, glaring question that was left unanswered at the end and I’m not the biggest fan of the “left open to interpretation” trick. Still, The Culling had creepy dolls, disembodied voices, objects moving on their own and a ton of other supernatural elements to it that will be enough to keep the ghost enthusiasts happy. Just know it takes a drastic turn near the end that you may or may not like.
One thing that really works in this movie’s favor is the characters. In a genre of film where most of the character’s are assholes that you want to die from the moment they walk on screen, it was refreshing to see a full cast of leads and supporting characters who were marginally endearing and personable in some way. Sure, they drink and smoke some bud during The Culling, but they’re just a couple of young kids on the way to a concert. Wouldn’t most of us do the same? This, of course, turns out to be their downfall because where most people would have given up and left, all of the characters are relatively decent people who have morals and are doing the right thing. Their reward for this is basically death. The wonderfully written characters are backed but incredibly talented actors and I can think of something positive to say about each and every one of them. They’ve all been on hit television shows or in horror movies at some point in their careers, Chris Coy most recently as Martin on “The Walking Dead,” and you can see why in The Culling. Just superb acting from everyone, even the youngest cast member Harley Graham.
The Culling isn’t a perfect movie by any means. It’s slow throughout the first half and even when the action picks up there’s nothing that exciting or frightening. And, again, parts of the story are unclear or unanswered. However, I’m surprised that this title didn’t receive a bigger release than it did. The production value is sky high, especially for collaborating production companies with not a lot of credits under their belt. While the pace and plot of the movie can sometimes be lacking, the production and editing of The Culling are flawless. It’s for that reason that I’m questioning as to why this didn’t get a limited theatrical release or a bigger, more publicized straight-to-DVD announcement. I think it was deserving of one. So, unfortunately The Culling is going to fly under the radar for a lot of horror fans and it’s definitely worth at least the price of a stream.
FINAL SCORE: 6.5 out of 10 (I could have rated this one at least a point higher if the plot was a little more solid. That’s its only downfall.)
I think this is one of the worst films I have seen this year. The director, Branaman, does not know what to do with the camera. There was lots of faux conflicts and poor dialogue. Also, the real action does not really begin until the last ten minutes. It is a big snoozer and I would not recommend anyone watch it.
I have the same opinion 8 years later :) this was AWFUL. And the guy that knows how to use a gun but shoots everywhere is typical left wing nonsense shoved down our throats.
The actors were good and that’s the SHAME OF IT.
There is almost NO PLOT and it goes on and on and on and on..
Not exciting. Not scary.
Just bad.