Saturday, September 1, 2012

37. ATM (2012)

Title:        ATM 
Year:        2012
Genre:      
Slasher 
Type:        A-Movie
Run Time: 90

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Watch Movie



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Synopsis

After leaving their company Christmas Party together, David (Brian Geragthy, The Hurt Locker) and Emily's (Alice Eve, Entourage, Starter for 10) impromptu first date takes an unexpected turn when their coworker, Corey (Josh Peck, The Wackness), asks them to make a late-night stop at an ATM. What should be a routine transaction turns into a bloody battle for survival when an unknown man appears and traps them inside the vestibule. With the wintry temperatures dipping below freezing and the morning sunrise still hours away, they have no choice but to play the man's deadly game of cat-and-mouse if they want to live through the night. With nail-biting suspense, ATM crafts one of the most shocking and suspenseful horror tales in years.

Alternative Synopsis
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Personal Thoughts

I'm not saying it's great, I'm not even saying it's good, I'm not saying it's original, I'm not suggesting it doesn't have plot holes, and I'm certainly not saying it's for everyone. No, I'm not saying any of these things. In fact, to most people you ask, ATM is just another lame, mediocre (decent but certainly nothing special), attempt at a horror movie, which I'm definitely not here to debate. To each his own! 

Though It may not be the second coming of Friday the 13th or Scream, it definitely was an enjoyable little horror flick (in my opinion), one that managed to hold my interest and keep me entertained all the way to the very end. I never got bored, and I never lost interest!  




Plot: When three co-workers make a midnight stop at a glass-enclosed ATM after their Christmas party, they find themselves trapped by a menacing man outside. Soon they're fighting for their survival as the temperature plunges and the man toys with them. -- Netflix

So, without writing a book and going into every detail of the film, I'll restate the fact that I did enjoy ATM (probably more so than the average person). It 's one of those underrated horror movies, perfect for a dark, cozy, rainy night -- fun, suspenseful, intense, and straight to the point. The trapped, isolated, and claustrophobic nature of the film, made for an uncomfortable, uneasy movie watching experience, and some of the choices and decisions the characters make in the movie (smart or dumb), made for a night of questioning what I would do myself, if ever thrown into a similar situation.

I kept asking myself things like; do I have the balls to take a chance and make a run for it when the killer's not in sight, or would I play it safe and stay in the vestibule? Do I prefer to make a run for it and risk being brutally murdered (beaten or stabbed) now, or do I prefer to stay put, and perhaps end up freezing to death later, which at the very least, will be a less painful death? I believe that it is in our human nature (when confronted with the possibility of death) to try and delay it as long as possible, even if doing so leads to illogical and irrational decisions. This is why you often see people cooperating with killers even though they fully know they'll be killed at some point down the line -- no one's in a hurry to die.




Is ATM Scary?

Well that of course, depends on who you're asking. The situation sucks, that's for sure, and I'm pretty sure being trapped in a vestibule and stalked by a hooded killer (in below freezing temperatures) will scare just about anyone. If that scenario doesn't frighten you, then you're definitely more macho than I am.

I ended up watching this movie with a friend, and all throughout the movie, we went back and forth -- he kept saying things like, I would have tried to run, I would have tried to fight ... I would have tried to do this, I would have tried to do that, and I (playing devil's advocate) kept saying things like, are you sure you would have taken a chance, are you positive you would have taken the risk, having never been faced with a situation like that in your entire life -- stalked, threatened, and facing a violent death -- how can you say for sure what you would or wouldn't do? Truth is, you don't really know what you'd do.

Not much was known about the perpetrator (there could have been more than one, as far as the characters in the movie were concerned). What we did know was, the guy was big, the guy was fast, the guy appeared to be strong, the guy was calculating, and the guy was calm (almost as if he'd done this before). Given the circumstances, would you try to be a hero and take risks that could potentially result in a much sooner death (risks that I'm not denying might be necessary in order to get away), or would fear set in, causing you to freeze, making you afraid to act, afraid to take a chance, afraid to do anything other than play it safe (which has kept you alive so far), even if deep down, you know that doing so probably won't ultimately save you? Under extreme pressure, with your life on the line, are you capable of reacting quickly, and making the appropriate choices necessary for survival, or does being in a frantic, constant state of panic, severally impact your capacity to think clearly and make wise decisions? Some people may be up for the task, and some people may buckle under pressure. With that said, you should be careful how you judge the characters in the movie. I personally, hope I never have to find out what type of person I am (brave or coward ... smart or dumb)!





In closing, we all have a few movies that we like, but know we can't justify calling good. ATM for me, is one of those movies. I know it isn't great, I know it's a bit unrealistic, I know some of the characters choices and decisions were questionable, but despite all of its flaws, I still found myself liking it anyways. And though I enjoyed it myself, I realize that it might not work for you, if you're planning on watching it expecting a top caliber, upper echelon horror flick. If you're looking for a masterpiece, then you should definitely look elsewhere. But if you're just looking for something fun and entertaining, then you should definitely give it a go.

Movie Recommendation 33 - Overall Recommendation Number 37
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What I liked:

- The suspense 
- The premise / Idea / overall concept 
- Some of the acting
- The chemistry between the main three characters

What I didn't like:

- The Ending Bothers me a bit
- Characters make quite a few illogical choices 
- No real motive or reason as to why the events transpired
- Some of the acting  
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My Ratings

How good was it:     
                                  

How scary was it:        

How much did I enjoy it:
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ATM Extras: 

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The Mothman

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