Penny Dreadful (2006)

I did like this film quite a lot (even though I have only given it 6/10). It's very tense and does send chills up your spine. The acting is very good, the storyline is imaginative but somehow I have this feeling, that it could've been so much better.

It's basically about a young girl who has a phobia of riding in cars (known as Amaxophobia) ever since her parents died tragically in a car accident when she was very young. Now, older, she must go back to where it happened with her psychiatrist to overcome her fears...this is her last step in her "program".

On route to this place, they hit a hitch-hiker and her psychiatrist feels so bad about this she decides to give them a lift, much to Penny's disapproval. They introduce themselves and Penny soon tells the hitch-hiker why they are travelling to the mountains (to overcome her fear of riding in cars).

When the hitch-hiker gets to their destination...thats when things start to go really bad. It's a tense and chilling roller-coaster from this point on and the acting from Penny is brilliant! However, there are times when you think to yourself "get on with it"...but in Penny's situation...you will understand why she doesn't! I would recommend seeing this as it is a good movie. But don't expect much gore, or horror. It's more of a thriller.

Always remember never tell a stranger ANYTHING about yourself ;)

Fmovies: Penny Deerborn (Rachel Miner) and her therapist, Orianna Volkes (Mimi Rogers) take a trip to help Penny overcome her fear of cars. But as with any horror film, things go wrong and the car they are traveling in ends up becoming a prison for Penny (wedged between two trees). Oh, and there's also a serial killer loose in the woods.

What is going to be the real deal-maker (or breaker) for this film is if the audience can relate to Penny's fear of cars. Roughly an hour of the film has her in the car by herself being scared. Not much of a plot, or much dialog -- just the actress and her expressions of fear. Many viewers will find this intensely boring. I, however, could relate quite well with this (as someone with anxiety, I often experience attacks in cars and can put myself in her shoes -- if I had been Penny, I would have been much less brave).

Rachel Miner deserves full credit for being amazing. I was not really familiar with her before this, though her name was somewhat known. She seems to have a very solid range, if this movie is any example -- she was asked to carry a film all on her own with no characters to talk to. And in my opinion, she did it.

Mimi Rogers (the former Mrs. Tom Cruise) also plays a unique role. As a corpse. I think that deserves some credit, too, as even acting dead must take some skills -- never really moving or breathing on camera. Definitely a new direction for Rogers.

Secondary characters were nice, if for no other reason than to round out the film... and I loved the visuals... the colors of the dark, snowy mountains. I don't know much about cameras, but I like the way the light was filtered to give it this dark, lonely look. Very good move.

I say check this one out. It may not be for you -- it might bore you to tears. So if you think you're one of those, don't watch it late at night when you're about to take a nap. If you have any sort of anxiety or claustrophobia, I think you'll get a lot more out of this one. And as long as everyone just ignores how conveniently coincidental the whole plot is, we'll be fine.

After reading and analyzing some negative reviews concerning this film, my wild guess is that "Penny Dreadful" turned out to be a disappointment to those who were looking forward to a movie that would desperately try to follow the "twists in the end" trend. It appears that many people are somehow disappointed by the fact that this film had an ending that wasn't complex or 'surprising' enough. In my case, however, as the film was coming to an end, I was hoping for a simple ending without an unnecessary twist. To my pleasant surprise, I got exactly what I wanted and the ending wasn't far-fetched and insulting like most horror films that are being released these days.

In "Penny Dreadful", the story is about a young girl named Penny, who has a severe fear of cars, as a result of a traumatic accident. Willing to overcome her phobia, Penny goes on a road trip with Orianna, her psychologist, as a way of overcoming her fear. During an argument, Orianna accidentally hits a hitchhiker who was walking in the middle of the road and decides to stop to help him out. When she realizes that the traveler is actually in perfect conditions, Orianna decides to give him a ride as a modest way of apologizing. Unfortunately, the hitchhiker turns out to be a raging murderer who will turn the therapeutic experience into Hell on Earth. Given the circumstances, the thing that Penny fears the most, ends up becoming her only saving shelter from the psychopath who lurks outside.

Like I stated before, one of the things that I praise the most about "Penny Dreadful", is the fact that there were several ways to turn the whole thing upside down towards the end and "shock" the audience with an ending that would make a villain out of the least expected character. "Penny Dreadful" is a very simple and yet compelling little film with an uncomplicated ending that despite of its simplicity, it still contains a small surprise that doesn't ruin the entire thing. I won't say it, of course... but there is one little surprise regarding the killer. I enjoyed this movie a lot, regardless of a few little things that I didn't quite get. For instance, I would have to point out the meaningless background story about a young folk having extramarital sex with a married woman and the old man who is aware of this act of adultery. It doesn't have any kind of connection to the story of Penny and Orianna. Perhaps the only reason why these three secondary characters appear, it's because otherwise, it would be ultimately uninteresting to see the hitchhiker and Penny throughout the entire film. Regarding the characters, I was glad to actually felt compelled to root for the good guys. These days, a lot of horror movies are released where the 'villains' are more empathetic, which leads to lack of interest for the main characters. Even though there were moments in which I felt like jumping into the screen and punch both Penny and Orianna for being so stupid, I felt empathy for the heroine of the story the whole time. I can't deny that she was a very irritating, but at the same time, I could empathize with her and I wanted her to survive, through a gruesome type of redemption.

If you're in the mood for an enjoyable film that doesn't desperately try to shock the audience with a "wonderful twist", give "Penny Dreadful" a chance. But most of all....brace yourself, put on your seat-belt and don't forget your breathing exercises, because th

Penny Dreadful fmovies. This is the first time I summarized a movie. I thought that this may have gone under the radar and I would be the first. Still, the movie made enough of an impression so that I would write a review anyway.

I think the better horror movies are those that are closer to reality and Penny Dreadful is much more real than most in the genre. I really liked the tension and suspense and cat-and-mouse game. I ran into this on the Sci-Fi channel and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't the run-of-the-mill shock schlock. I think the writer(s) should be applauded for a pretty original script rather than the pure gore we receive so much today. If you're a horror fan, I'm sure this would make your top 50 list, if not 40.

Now, this had all the elements of good horror - suspense, screams, breasts, and slashing. Not too bad for a film that takes place in the woods at night.

Penny (Rachel Miner) is traveling with her therapist (Mimi Rogers) to overcome her fear of cars after an auto accident as a child. Now, everyone knows not to pick up hitchhikers, and you should especially know not to take them into the woods, but hey, there wouldn't be a movie if they did the smart thing.

She, with a fear of cars, ends up stuck in a car with her dead therapist, and thus begins a night of horror. Dead bodies are piling up all over as she screams to get out.

I won't spoil it except to say that I really liked the ending.

And, I sure want to see some more of Tammy Filor.

The first time I saw this movie I didn't really care for it at all. I re-watched it a second time and I absolutely loved it. This movie has great suspense, terror and kills. Penny is a likable character, she is traumatized from a car accident, and is trying to get over her fears and is trying to be a regular person. Her therapist, Orianna, is taking Penny on a road-trip. It's to "Complete the Circle" and have Penny end her fears where they first began. The Hitchhiker is really creepy. He then traumatizes Penny even more throughout the film. The reason I liked this film is because first of all, it's a really good movie - if you're into this kind of film. And second because it shows how you don't a HUGE budget and big name stars in a movie for it to be good.