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Plot Summary
A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school in the middle of the woods. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.
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Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
17%- Reviews Counted: 6
- Fresh: 1
- Rotten: 5
- Average Rating: 2.9/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Rotten: "Rites of Spring" yields a slender bounty.
Rotten: The acting is shaky, the scare scenes are fairly stock, and it takes way too long for Reynolds to put all his pieces in play, especially given that the movie doesn't have much of an ending.
Rotten: Padraig Reynolds's film has no interest in self-awareness, and in fact wears stupidity as a sort of badge of honor.
Customer Reviews
Pleasantly surprised!
I saw this at the Screamfest film festival in LA. I'm not really a huge fan of slasher movies, but the friend I was with is and I'd seen the girl who played the main character in another movie, the Signal, which I enjoyed. I also do often enjoy suspense thrillers, so I appreciated that Rites of Spring had a little bit for everyone. The genre mashup really kept the mystery and suspense going until everything was revealed toward the end. The creature was ridiculously gross, the scares were scary, and the suspense was palpable. It was obvious that the filmmaker really had an appreciate for old slasher classics. Of which, I admit, I have seen only a few.
The locations are really what made the movie for me. The realism and authenticity of the settings really help set the movie apart and take it to the next level. That was something I noticed specifically about the look of it.
All in all, Rites of Spring was a fun time and a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed it.
Good suspense and overall a great first feature from filmmaker Padraig Reynolds
A cool dual story, with good general suspense (featuring spot on pace and increasing intensity), great leads, a couple surprising twists, good creepy use of a minimalist industrial-orchestral score, wide open back country scenery, well-designed old worn-down sets, a nice lil bit o' gore (with great make-up on close-ups), and an edge-of-your-seat ending!!
Above all though: RITES OF SPRING showcases simply *OUTSTANDING* cinematography for its budget and the genre in general, without question. The film is at once simply beautifully lit and very creepily shot, and makes great use of hand-held/steadicam camera work. They also did a fine job on the editing, it flows visually very well.
A superb first feature by Padraig Reynolds.
A great OnDemand catch for suspense lovers.
9/10
Excellent Film!
A excellent story line and plot! I highly recommend this movie to any thriller/suspense movie lovers!
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