Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA (Critics) / 83% (Audience)
Directed By: Steven C. Miller
Written By: Eric Stolze
Starring: Jonny Weston, Gattlin Griffith, Peter Holden
Studio: Xlrator Media

Synopsis: Every child knows about the monster under the bed-Neal Hausman’s mistake was trying to fight it. Neal (Jonny Weston, Chasing Mavericks) has returned from a two-year exile following his tragic attempt to defeat the monster, only to find his father ticking ever closer to a breakdown, a new stepmother who fears him, and his little brother Paul (Gattlin Griffith, Green Lantern, Changeling), terrorized by the same monster. While Neal and Paul work together to try and fight the nocturnal menace, their parents are taking desperate measures to get the family back to normal. With no support from their parents, the brothers have nothing to rely on but each other, and courage beyond belief. (Source)

The Good:
The chemistry between the two actors playing the brothers tormented by what was under their beds was very good. They actually seemed like they could be brohters and they way they alternated playing the role of protector with one another was nice.
I also liked how the movie left it vague for a good portion of the film as to whether the brothers were actually being harrassed by some otherworldy entity or if it was all in their heads.
And considering the apparent budget constraints the monster make-up was pretty sweet.

The Bad:
The other relationships in the movie didn’t work at all. The sort of romance between the older brother and the girl next door fell flat; the stepmother never once seemed convincing as the concerned mother figure or as the “evil stepmother”; and I don’t know what direction the guy playing the father was being given but he acted like a total overblown dickhead throughout the entire movie.

The Ugly
Was it ever explained who was wandering around the house wearing the blankets? I really don’t remember that ever being addressed after the scenes where that person appeared.

Final Verdict: An intriguing idea for a movie that failed to deliver for multiple reasons but nice performances by the two leads and a pretty decent looking monster makes it worth a view if you are bored on a rainy weekend with nothing else to do.

Grade: C-