While She Was Out (2008)

To be sure there's nothing particularly original in this. It's a fairly standard chase movie as a woman is chased through the night by a gang of thugs out to kill her in revenge for her having left a nasty note on their car when they double parked in a busy parking lot on Christmas Eve. So, yeah, it's a variation on a pretty standard theme. There are no real "surprises." You know the woman is going to survive somehow, and in all honesty I thought there was a fair bit of tension and suspense through the whole thing. It's a bit unbelievable, sure - but that's the nature of this kind of movie. Unoriginal, yeah - but anyone who reads the description of the movie going in has to know it's going to be unoriginal so don't watch it if you want something brand spanking new. I liked the basic story from the point at which Della began to be pursued to the point at which she escaped. I thought it was well done.The movie was helped by having a better than usual lead. Kim Basinger played Della and did well with the part. So many of these movies feature a complete cast that you've never seen before and that you'll never see again that it's kind of nice to see a familiar face. Ironically, perhaps the weakest part of the movie was also Della, though - not Basinger's performance but the character's background. From the opening scenes of the movie Della is portrayed as a victim of an abusive husband, apparently trapped in this unhappy marriage. That really served little purpose and had few connecting points to the remainder of the movie except to allow for a "shocker" in the very last scene, which, again, wasn't necessary to the story. Go into this with your eyes wide open. If you like this type of movie then this is certainly on par with (and maybe even a bit better than) most "chase" movies you'll come across. But if you're looking for originality, forget it. It all depends what you're expecting from it. Personally, I rather liked it. (7/10)

So this was supposed to be a thriller, but I found myself laughing most of the time while watching this super stupid movie. This movies is like "Scary movies", thriller and funny. OK, so this movie is super X 10 times stupid!! I don't want to write much of a review, but couldn't resist myself from pointing out some of the demented scenes created by the director.1. A mall, which is so busy at night that a parking space is impossible to find, all of a sudden turns so empty as if it was a graveyard.2.When Kim was escaping from the mall, instead of going back to whatever place she came, she ends up going to the most remote place on planet earth. There were cops too on the way to the mall, but she decides to go to the MARS. 3. What is that red tool box?? lol.......lol.....give me a break!! Why on earth that box?? Many other reviewers have already told a lot about that box. Actually the name of the movie should be "The Red Box" lol 4. When 4 thugs are chasing you, and you have woods in front of your eyes, then what would you do? Right! you would run to your last breath and probably would reach to the farthest end of the woods, but Kim ends up running around the thugs again and again and.........again. 5. Why on earth that Kim's 'pee' scene???!!! The director was so artistic that she covered even the minute details. 6.The young moron thug starts acting like a 150 IQ genius.......He knows how to mark trees, he is even so sure that Kim is around him (in that 100 acre woods) that he talks loud to himself and says "I know you are here".....lol 7. The musical tribute to the dead acquaintance was super hilarious. 8. The abrupt sex scene in the end was out of this planet. I guess Martians feel a burst of sexual desire when they kill 4 people and when their own a** is on fire. This is completely logical for Martians. I am not sure about the folks living on planet earth. 9.Instead of hiding into the woods, she sometimes takes a stupid tool from her Red Box, and jumps to kill a thug like Rambo. 10. Finally when she kills all the thugs, she starts for her home (she doesn't care to tell the cops on the way that she just saw 5 dead bodies, 4 were her own contributions!)This movie is funnier than any of the Scary Movies. Please watch it if you wish to laugh for hours.Beware, despite it's hilarious nature, this movie could be injurious for some people. (and potentially fatal as well).

The genre of suspense films really takes a dive in this one. The big problem is IMPLAUSABILITY. I realize that you need to create difficult situations which would cause suspense and the tense feeling of whats going to happen next, but this movie was so predictable, and is just not believable. I find that the more I watch this kind of movie, the more I am continually saying things to actors to direct them away from danger. Continually making bad decisions just borders on being plain stupid. If they took the time to make it more realistic, I might have enjoyed it a little. Having said that, you might be better off staying away from this one.

I don't often give one star reviews, but the computer won't let me do negative numbers.The opening titles tell us we're in deep water already. Although this is a low budget exploitation film, there are 17 producers credited. No. No.At the beginning of the story abusive husband Kenneth comes home to his family in an upscale gated community. The house is a pigsty. His wife, Della (Kim Basinger) has let the children run amok all day.OK. We're already in deep water. Ms. Basinger was 55 years old when the film came out. Uh, are these her children or grandchildren? It's Christmas Eve. Della drives to the mall, a lengthy scene that could have been cut. To bludgeon home the idea of eeeeeeevil male aggression rampant in the universe she drives past football players in full uniform playing in pouring rain on Christmas Eve. Sure. For a bonus she sees a vehicle with a slaughtered deer tied to it.We get some actual suspense in the driving scenes, though. It's raining and traffic is bad. First we see Della try to drive and smoke at the same time. Then later Della tries to drive and talk on her cell phone at the same time, at one point turning completely around to check the cluttered back seat for the charger for the phone.She wanders the mall, sees an old friend from college, tries to buy stuff but her credit card is declined- gosh, maybe her husband is grumpy because he's going broke, but that's too complicated for the script to follow.In the parking lot she runs afoul of the most ludicrous gang in the history of films. One White boy (Lukas Hass watching his career go down the toilet), one Black, one Asian, and one Hispanic. Imagine a company of Up with People gone to the bad and you'll have the idea.Although they have a gun she gives them attitude. A mall cop comes to investigate the ruckus and they shoot him in the head, firing more than once. The parking lot is crowded as can be, people everywhere, and nobody notices.Della escapes in her car and rather than choosing a police station or well lighted safe area, she drives to a construction site, where she kills all four bad boys one at a time with simply the tools (literally) at hand.MAJOR spoiler ahead.She drives back home. The car poops out so she walks through the pouring rain. Checks on the children, goes downstairs, and when her husband petulantly asks what she got him at the mall shows him the gun and shoots him at point blank range.The experience with the four punks was supposed to result in personal empowerment for Della. Instead we know that her children will probably spend Christmas in foster care or a group home, because the State will collect them while she answers to murder one charges. The four punks can be classified as justifiable homicide in self defense. The husband, different story.I'm so glad I saw this on cable. If I'd seen it in a theater (did it get any release?) I'd have been furious. As is, I'm just sad seeing talents like Ms. Basinger and Mr. Haas waste themselves on garbage like this.One very good thing, though. This was written and directed by Susan Montford. Ms. Montford has not gotten another writing or directing credit since passing this turd. There is justice in the world.