Leave (2011) Movie Review

Directed by Robert Celestino

Written by Rick Gomez &  Frank John Hughes (story)

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Ron Livingston, Rick Gomez, Frank John Hughes, and Vinessa Shaw

Henry Harper is a successful novelist who has it all. But after surviving a recent trauma he finds himself haunted by a dream that terrifies him. Convinced that the only way to understand what the dream means is to write his way through it, Henry decides to go to a remote second home to begin work on his next novel, a thriller. While on his way there he encounters a strangely familiar drifter who confronts him with information that threatens to turn everything he knows to be true, upside down.

Fantastic film. I went in blind with no information besides the synopsis. It sounded intriguing, so I gave it a shot. Leave is more thriller than horror, but it’s stitched together with common threads. Henry (Gomez) is a prosperous novelist who’s having a hard time getting past a violent personal encounter. A dark deed throws Henry into restless nights and reoccurring nightmares. He decides to visit his vacation home in hopes of exorcising the nocturnal demon through a new novel. Henry meets a familiar face at a restaurant along the way, plunging him into emotional highs and lows before resting within an undeniable truth.

This is the kind of movie that needs an almost immediate second viewing. After you finish, you’ll immediately know what I mean. Every word, every object, every piece of the movie is all part of a puzzle within a puzzle. That might sound convoluted already, but I promise it isn’t. Gomez commands attention, dutifully pulling us deeper and deeper into his dark psyche. Your movie radar will ping frequently as there’s plenty of metaphoric and symbolic imagery invoked, just pay attention – you’ll need this eventually. I don’t want any of the twist to be spoiled, so I can’t say much more about Leave. The film is shot with precision, allowing for no throwaway scenes or useless dialogue. It’s just one more thing that brings this psychological masterpiece to life. I’m sure you’ll be looking for some grand twist, and I promise there is one, you’ll just be surprised at its starting point. Enjoy and be surprised.