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A young family is pushed to the very edge of terror and brutality in Paul Andrew Williams' (London to Brighton, The Cottage) horror-thriller, CHERRY TREE LANE. Mike, Christine and their son Sebastian have always felt safe in their peaceful suburban neighborhood, but a savage home invasion changes everything, pushing the family into a hellish fight for survival. As their nightmare unfolds, they learn the shocking cruelty that strangers can inflict… and what they'll have to do to save themselves.
I knew this was a home invasion film going into it, there have been several like it recently so I wasn't sure sure how this was going to stack up or how different this might be if at all. The film starts off with Mike and Christine, a married couple sitting down to have dinner. They give you the impression that this is not a healthy relationship as seem to argue over everything including their absent son. Their son Sebastian seems to be a bit of a problem and even though you do not see him he is a major part of the story. Their dinner is slightly interrupted when someone is at the door asking for Sebastian, Christine tells them he is not home and resumes her meal but it isn't long before they are back at the door again asking for Sebastian but this time they force themselves into the house and hold Mike and Christine hostage as they wait for Sebastian to come home.
The story is pretty straight forward so to talk about the plot any more here would only ruin it for those waiting to see the film. But what I can tell you is that I found the film to be much more tamer than the trailer suggested. Now that doesn't mean that I didn't like the film or anything because it does have some good things going for it but it is also a slow moving thriller with very little action. This is more a character-driven thriller than an actual horror film, with a film like this you need two things in order to make it work. An interesting story that provides some good suspense which the film does fairly well and a cast that is going to be believable. Rachael Blake and Tom Butcher are excellent as Christine and Mike, I don't think the filmmakers could of picked a better pair of actors to play Sebastian's parents. As far as the gang goes it's a bit of a mixed bag as far as the acting goes but the performances are good enough so they don't take anything away from the story.
"Cherry Tree Lane" is a well-written thriller, it doesn't break any new ground but the story is suspenseful at times and it's at least believable. I did expect more from the film than I got, I suppose the trailer had something to do with that but I was kind of let down over-all. So what I recommend is not to go into this expecting a whole lot, it's a solid thriller in terms of story and tension but it just doesn't pack that wallop I was waiting for. Still, if you like the genre then I recommend check it out. I really enjoyed the story, the acting from the two main leads and the camera works was fantastic as well. The film did a pretty good job at keeping you in suspense and on the edge, definitely above average so I recommend checking it out. Available on DVD, there are no Special Features included on the disc besides a few trailers. You can order the DVD HERE.
Released by Image Entertainment
*** Out Of *****