Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

GrimPrecise I'll tell you why so serious

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Rocky Wood If Hollywood had made this movie (and smoothed out some hitches that presumably came with a low budget) the critics may well have been raving about it. In many ways it could have been another 'The Others'.Most of the acting is quite acceptable for a low budget horror movie; the photography is very well done and the script itself is ambitious and doesn't miss by much, which is saying something. Some of the foreshadowing is top notch.Either way well worth watching and miles ahead of so much Hollywood horror pap!As ghost stories go this was relatively original and will be appreciated by those looking for something different.

doctorgonzo23 Well, I have to admit I was a little disappointed in this movie. The story is certainly original, but there is little in the way of visuals or built up tension to hold the interest. The best shots in the movie are over after the opening titles.The story centers around two young men who pack up for a weekend getaway filled with surfing and partying. After following two girls down a dirt road to a party, the youths find themselves in a ditch and requiring some help to get unstuck. A peek into a farm house window makes them witnesses to a murder and puts them directly in harm's way as they are pursued by a strange bunch of the town's "locals".I was expecting something different after reading the back of the box. I guess I was looking forward to some sort of a degenerate red-neck type romp filled with cannibal killers or at least a few deformed freaks. It turns out that this is actually a ghost story with more than one (mildly) surprising twist. The acting is not first rate, the dialog is unnatural in places and the lighting ruins the night setting illusion. There's a whole lot of long shadows considering there's no street lights in the middle of the country and the sky seems devoid of a moon.The relationship between the two principle characters is just not believable; none of the dialog really sells it to the audience. The ending is not bad though, and does manage to help the film recover from some of these earlier flaws.If you're a fan of the genre, you might see something here you'll like. This would be a good movie choice for someone who isn't looking for anything too scary.

Robert W. The Locals looked interesting enough but box covers can be deceiving and I didn't realize it was a New Zealand film and I'm not sure I've ever seen a New Zealand film and I must admit the hardest part about the film was catching everything they said in their accents (the DVD has no subtitles sadly.) Nonetheless despite a slow, cumbersome start The Locals turned out to be a decent little thriller with a ghost story twist to it not unlike the sixth sense (although not quite as well told.) Writer and director (fairly new to the scene) Greg Page creates a nice little eerie setting in the darkness to give you some cheap scares, and a fast paced, interesting storyline if not a little amateur at times. Still the story is unique and different although it has some predictable elements. John Barker who plays the lead role of Grant, the rather reluctant young guy, recently dumped by his girlfriend who goes on a surfing trip with his best friend who just wants him to get on with his life. Barker is quite intense and always has a stunned frightened expression on his face which is humorous and disturbing all at once. He's a good lead actor though and probably has a good career ahead of him outside of being a Power Ranger?? Dwayne Cameron plays the best friend Paul (Cameron is also a former Power Ranger and actually worked with Barker on several other projects. Perhaps they are best friends off screen as well because the two of them have great chemistry and you honestly buy their best friend relationship. They are good, young actors with a promising future I am sure and they both play the scared, tortured roles quite well. The rest of the cast....The Locals...so to speak all serve their purpose quite well. They are all genuinely creepy without being hammy or campy. I wouldn't say any of them stand out all that much in their performances.The reason to see The Locals is really the fresh story and the unique little twists and turns and the creepy New Zealand setting. For a nice little scare on a Saturday night you'll enjoy this one and the two lead performances are well worth your time. For an Indie horror film (and I've seen some ROTTEN ones as of late) this one kind of grew on me. It's quite short and the beginning is a little draggy and you might think the story isn't going to come together but it does and I think for most horror/thriller fans you'll find this one worth seeing. 8/10

DrVine This is an above average script - compelling at times - but it's let down by uninspired directing and merely adequate acting . If it had been made by M. Night Shyamalan it would have been an absolute blinder, but as it was so many potentially chilling scenes were just wasted opportunities (all "the Locals" appearing out of the dark, Grant hiding in the kitchen, Paul's dawning understanding in the ditch). The rock soundtrack doesn't help either; they're good tunes, but they're not exactly subtle - that all important suspense is killed off once and for all. This is one situation where a Hollywood remake might actually be a good thing.