Movie Review: Cabin 28 (2017)

Synopsis: Sue Sharp and her family are spending time at a cabin in Keddie, California when they are terrorized by a group of masked invaders who break into their cabin in the middle of the night. The movie is based on a real-life 1981 unsolved murder.

Who's in it? The movie stars Terri Dwyer, Brendee Green, Harriet Rees, Gareth Lawrence and Lee Bane.


Review: I came across this film on VUDU last night and, since it looked halfway interesting, I decided to watch it with my wife. I had hoped, at minimum, it would be a good psychological thriller, especially since it was based on a real-life quadruple homicide. But, it wound up being a bit of a disappointment.

I think the premise of the film is a good one. The Keddie murders, from what I've read of them, seemed pretty gruesome and had potential as an on-screen thriller/mystery. Unfortunately, I think the film just didn't quite execute this well enough.

I think my biggest problem with this movie is it felt like there was supposed to be more to the story, as though there was some sort of conspiracy surrounding Sue (Dwyer) and her family. But, the film never really pulled the trigger and took it in that direction, just hinted at it toward the end. Considering the film actually advertises the fact it is taking liberties while dramatizing the murders, I don't know why the writers were so afraid to do more.

The other problem I had with this movie is I really found it hard to care about the victims. Sue just didn't seem all that likeable and the rest of her family was kind of bland. It also didn't help that they just didn't seem to be all that bright. Nobody makes an effort to call the police, Sue is quick to go to bed even though there is a potential threat lurking outside and, while I applaud their efforts to defend themselves, they always stopped short of "double tapping" and making sure their assailants were truly subdued. Oh, and as easily as everyone seemed to be getting into that cabin, it was pretty darn obvious someone forgot to lock a backdoor or something, despite getting plenty of advanced warning.

Actually, to be honest, I think my wife and I spent way too much time criticizing the stupid mistakes they were making to actually even care about the overall plot. I mean, it's one thing to be overpowered by intruders. You don't need to make it easy for them. Personally, if I were a family member of the real crime victims, I'd be kind of ticked off with how the family is portrayed in this film.

Final Opinion: The movie had some potential. But, I just feel like it was lacking something and, between that and the unlikeable victims, I lost interest in the film relatively quickly.

My Grade: D

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