Dreamcatcher is strange. It is rare that I see a movie so accomplished as this one and feel ambivalent. The movie about a group of four guys that received psychic powers when they were young seems very interesting a first, but then becomes less and less interesting and more and more confusing. In the very first moments of the film we learn that one of the protagonists is considering suicide. Why? We never find out. This pattern is repeated in the film over and over. This is also a thriller that gets its tension mainly from the “what is that sound and let me investigated” formula. The movie seemed smarter than that. Why don’t they use their psychic powers to figure out what is happening? In one part a character compulsively reaches for toothpicks he dropped on the floor in spite of close danger. I never understood why.

These are spoilers: What does Mr. Gray want with Earth? Why do they come here? What drove the leader of the blue team crazy? What exactly are the aliens? What is Dudley? What was Beav’s power and why does he need to reach for those tooth picks? Now that is just stupid. And that is part of the problem with the movie, the characters act stupid though with their powers, they should have an edge and act smart. Also the motivations are strange: the alien ship auto destructs but I don’t understand why? The aliens have telepathic powers and no analysis is made of their ability to communicate with us. These nagging problems make the movie very pedestrian which contrast incredibly with the burnished sheen on everything else in the movie.

The movie has polished acting, inspired cinematography and interesting direction. The flash backs create a world of brilliant yellows, reds and greens that is hyper real like memories are. The directing is surprising in what it shows and what it doesn’t. The whole movie looks great. In fact, it looks so good you expect more from the plot than what you have. I know that when you are adapting a book (I haven’t read the book) you have to cut stuff out but many of the things they appear to have cut are the interesting bits. This movie falls way short of an intelligent thriller, and lacks they vivacity and intensity of a good horror film. It is nudged somewhere in between, like a bad episode of the twilight zone.

Catch this movie on cable don’t bother with the DVD the extras are not worth it. I give it two thumbs up, five stars and a semi-civilized yelp.