Rating: 
Summary: A scary gem! A mature horror thriller like The Ring!
Review: THEY (2002)If you threw Pitch Black, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Final Destination, and The Ring in a blender you'd probably end up with something like "They." It's a moody little horror film for mature audiences. It may look like a teen horror flick but it actually takes a more serious tone and I see adult audiences enjoying this more than teens. The main place this movie scores is with the directing. I loved the lighting and the uneasy feeling the movie gives off, especially during the final few minutes. It really made my heart beat and I felt uneasy. The many jump scenes were also a nice touch, whether they worked or not. Some worked for me and some didn't, but it all depends on the person. Laura Regan really surprised me as Julia. Before seeing the movie I wasn't expecting much from her. From the trailer I thought her acting seemed kind of weak but I'm glad I was proved wrong. She actually gave a very good and likable performance. She's also quite cute which also surprised me because from the trailer I didn't find her that attractive. Marc Blucas does an alright job but he doesn't have much to do except play the token boyfriend that we've seen a number of times before. At least I can say his acting has improved a little since his days on TV's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer." Ethan Embry and Dagmara Dominczyk also do fine with what they are given, although I have seen better performances from Embry in the past. Unfortunately, even with the many high points of "They" it's not without its faults, the main one being the script. I would have liked more background info on the characters, especially Julia (Regan). To me it seemed like Terry (Dominczyk) was one of the most developed characters. I really enjoyed the story she told about what happened the night "they" took her. Where she ends up and what she does is pretty creepy and managed to stay with me the whole movie. The other main flaw of the script is that too many questions are left unanswered. Now I'm not someone who needs everything explained to them but I'd at least like to know what the hell "they" want by the time the movie is over. Overall, despite some flaws I really enjoyed "They," it's a well crafted thriller with some very good directing from Robert Harmon and one hell of an eerie score. This clever horror thriller is sure to become one of the years most underrated. It should however develop a cult following, especially once it hits video. It's a love it or hate it kind of film that I don't think a lot of mainstream audiences will like. I think the ending alone will turn a lot of people off, I on the other hand loved it. Along with "The Ring," "They" has one of the most downright wicked endings of the year. It definitely had my heart pumping. I also can't forget the solid opening scene, it was very well done and one hell of a creepy way to start off the movie. I'd recommend "They" to the same audience that enjoyed "The Ring," if that movie bored you then "They" is likely to have the same effect. Grade: 7/10 or B or ***1/2 of *****
Rating: 
Summary: what a stinker!
Review: This movie basically follows the story of three young people with a common history.Each one had severe hallucinations when they were young children and are having them again 20 years later.Or were they really hallucinations after all?This awful,awful film fails on all fronts--horrible acting,directing,script,you name it!And the ending was just shockingly bad.Not corntroversial bad,just bad bad!The audience let out a collective moan after it was all over!And finally,there isn't a single scary part...just basically unexpected noise during quiet scenes.No tension or suspense whatsoever.
Rating: 
Summary: Ugh.
Review: I usually have a great deal of respect for Wes Craven. But this movie really shot all of that down. I really did not like this movie. The acting was horrible, and the plotline (if there even was one to begin with) suffered because of it. It was very formulated, like a sequal to a movie we never saw the first of. I was expecting a lot more. I could tell you the end is a big surprise and a shocker like it was meant to be, but it wasn't. I also noticed a lot of "The Ring" influences, but maybe that's just me. Either way, don't see this movie and save yourself seven bucks.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Horror movie of 2002!
Review: I went to this movie not expecting much, but what i got was a great horror movie with a ..... PLOT! This movie was great! i loved every single minute of it, the ending kind of left u hanging though. But oh well, that just means that there will be a sequal. This movie does not need gore, it is scary and suspensful in its own way! I really hope this movie doesnt flop, cus most of the good movies ive seen do cus of not that much hype. I will see this movie again in theaters and i plan on buying it on DVD in Spring/Summer 2003. So go see it! It is so much better then the ring! 2 THUMBS UP!
Rating:
Summary: THEY should go AWAY!
Review: This is the first time I really mourned for 2 actors fighting to breathe life into such a comatose script!
The script was lethargic and boring. Laura Regan and Marc Blucas (aka. Riley from the WB TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" tryed in vain to quicken the pace to this "pre-teen horror" yarn, but to no avail I fell asleep 3 times!
The film was shot in almost total darkness so you could not tell what was happening. The sound was terrible and muffled.
The plot was ridiculous. What was the background story of these creatures? Where did "they" come from? The ending was a total cop-out (hear that WES!), letting the girl disappear into the closet into some form of interdimensional web?
There was no character development. You knew nothing about the lives/careers of any of these characters so you really did not care what happened to any of them!
This one should take a rocket sled to the discount video bin at your local video store in the next 2 months! One critic had the nerve to compare this to "The Ring". The only manner in which this film reminded me of "The Ring", was the type of ring you find in your bathtub, it should be scrubbed away as soon as possible and forgotten!
Wes, I am still a fan and always will be so I will let this one slide! But please, let's see another "Last House on the Left" and not another "THEY"!
Rating: 
Summary: They
Review: It starts out slow. When it becomes a bit interesting, the whole plot gives way to basic chase. Scenes with no depth, and why don't these people carry a flash light. Use a flash light don't blow your brains out. I've seen a lot worse. But the chases are so unorignal the creature could have been Jason.
Rating:
Summary: Wes Craven Presents "They" OK
Review: A good movie, coulda been a lot worse. Good plot but, I think that it would have been more effective if Wes Craven would have wrote and directed it though.
Rating:
Summary: Dull Opening, Striking Ending: Not All Bad, Not Good Either
Review: 'They' are coming from darkness to catch you. In short, that's all you can find in the story, and the rest of the film is about hapless characters who are 'marked' for death. And forget about 'Wes Craven' part. What does this 'presents' mean anyway in 'Wes Craven presents'?
Horror fans must remember the name of the director of 'They': Robert Harmon. He was behind the camera in Rutger Hauer thriller 'The Hitcher' in 1986. For 'They' FOCUS FEATURES (the indie company of '21 grams') assembled the following cast -- Laura Regan, Marc Blucas, Ethan Embry, Dagmara Dominczyk. And 'They' are coming to them (except one).
Legan is Julia, graduate student of psychology, with a boyfriend. On a rainy day (like that of 'Se7en') she receives a call from her old friend Billy, who almost demented warns her: beware the darkness, for they are coming.
The film goes on at the plodding pace at first, though Rene Ohashi's brooding photography is one great merit. The scares are not all effective, all too predictable, and the story itself is not an original one (see for example 'Darkness Falls' and Anna Paquin's 'Darkness'), and the ideas are mostly borrowed ones.
But when 'They' are really coming to her and others (and this hardly visible 'They' designed by Patrick Tatopoulos), the film gradually becomes better, with quite thrilling (if slightly illogical) sequences (in a swimming pool and a subway tunnel) that builds up to the striking ending. Though the weak opening is never to be recovered, the last chapter is a minor triumph.
The problems are twofold: one is that, as I said, the film takes too much time to reach the very well-made set-pieces. And the other is that the acting is mostly below average. You might hate me for saying this, but Laura Legan is not ready for the leading lady's role yet.
Don't expect the fast-paced thriller, or the steady flow of scary scenes with which you might associate the name of Craven, the master of horrors. It is more atomospheric, and perhaps with a better luck, after. like 10 years, 'They' might be recognized as cult horror. Just perhaps.
Rating:
Summary: Ending's good... that's about it...
Review: I rarely give just one star to anything, as I feel most stuff at least deserves merit for the effort of making the film. That said, being a horror fan, I have to give this movie one star because this is the kind of movie that gives horror a bad name.
It's not worth a terribly in depth review. The basic plot: people who experienced "night terrors" as kids are being being chased by creatures now in their adulthood that only can come out in the darkness.
Now I don't mind the premise, and I really don't mind that there are some unanswered questions (I'm a fan of ambiguity, the unexplained can be plenty frightening). And I liked the ending (even though the whole "They only come out in darkness" rule was apparently broken). I thought it had good impact, and on a better movie would have been pretty daring. What makes this movie so bad is the characters. They're stupid as all hell and pretty much don't seem to be trying to survive. They KNOW the creatures can only get to them in darkness and nonetheless they put themselves in situations where they are ALONE IN THE DARK. Okay, so the creatures can short electric lights, fine. Had it been me, I'd buy a covered oil lamp or three, walk around with those all the time, preferably in the midst of many people who could help me should anything weird happen, and call it a good life. Stupid characters that deserve to get killed are the worst cliche in the whole damn genre.
IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE - I've actually read the original script to this film and it's not only vastly superior to the film, it's almost ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. I think most of the character names are the same, and there are stalking creatures involved, that's it. You could make a movie based on this script with a different title and nobody would know it was related to this film. That's a heads up to any aspiring screenwriters, in case you weren't already aware. You can sell your excellent script to a major studio and make the good money and still get screwed with an unrecognizable product that your name is attached to.
Rating:
Summary: "They" Ain't Too Scary
Review: "They" is one of the most uninspired "horror" flicks I've ever watched. This fluff is the tale of a young lady who had "night terrors" as a child and now "They" are back again. Her friend, unable to handle the pressure, kills himself. This event leads her to two other people who suffer from her affliction. Together, they try to figure out what "They" are up to and why "They" are after them using the notes left behind by the young man who commits suicide.
In the end, what you have is a film that attempts to play more with your mind than with your eyes. You don't get to see the creatures very well, and when you do, it's too dark to make anything out. The story is stale, the acting is stale, and the ending is a bigger letdown than the rest of the film. In short, I don't recommend this flick to anyone unless they are a hardcore Wes Craven fan. This movie feels unfinished and I don't plan on watching it again. I recommend movies such as "Signs" and "Darkness Falls" if you want a few mindbending thrills. If "They" have a sequel(perhaps it will be called "Ya'll" and take place in the South), the gaping plot holes can be filled and the story can find some sort of conclusion, but until that day, stay away from this snoozer.
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