There are low-budget movies that can surprise you by making it big with so little, but at the same time there are movies that can create some discomfort in the viewer by wasting their time worse than the resources used in the plot. Reed’s Point is one of those films that doesn’t even come close to damaged goods.

It somehow tries to tell the story of a girl searching for her cousin that went missing in the woods after a terrible (and somehow laughable) RV crash. How did she disappear? Well, she was dragged away from the scene by the Jersey Devil, a so-called legendary creature that only Sarah (Sasha Anne), the only lucid witness at the time, and a few locals believe in. A year later, Sarah decides to go in search of her cousin to the same place where the accident occurred, convinced that she is still alive. Believing she has enough clout as a journalism student to gain access to the information she needs and places she wants to visit, she sets out with her cousin’s ex-boyfriend to find the truth. Unfortunately for them, the truth will be hard to digest (as will the entire plot of this film) and they’ll realize there are worse things to fear than an urban legend monster.

At first glance, Reed’s Point seems to carry a plot that will pit the characters against the local folklore and possibly tell us a bit about its origins. In theory, it sounds like a great idea because I honestly know absolutely nothing about the Jersey Devil but seeing this film did not increase my knowledge about the subject nor did it make me curious to investigate. The way this movie is promoted as supernatural elements haunting the characters is bigger than its actual presence in the movie. They probably cover their quota by mentioning it every 30 seconds and showcasing the creature’s concept for almost 5 minutes, but it’s downright disappointing how misleading the hype has been at the end of the day.

Despite the performances proving to be tougher than the oak of a tree, or the cast’s monotone voices confirming as emotional the blowing of wind against the leaves, the plot of Reed’s Point doesn’t start too badly— yes, it’s something to behold. It has already been seen before and we could say that this cartridge has been burned too much. But the line they were` following was steady and smooth along the way, until the plot vehicles came in several carbon-copy tips-and-hints of horror movies about trips gone wrong, haunted cabins and clueless tourists.

Reed’s Point has no point— no motive for the chain of events. Previously running with a longer plot-revealing title, this movie makes the same sense as mixing Mentos with Diet Coke inside a house— an unnecessary disastrous outcome aware that it will achieve nothing. The only thing going for it is the dedication it puts into practical effects and costuming—although the creature’s concept is ridiculous, there’s no doubt there was effort to create it.

2 OUT OF 10 STOCKHOLM SYNDROMES