"The River" is one of those great shows that you can't help but wonder what could have been. The show is about a famous explorer and naturalist, Dr. Emmet Cole (played by Bruce Greenwood) who mysteriously disappears without a trace in the Amazon. When he is declared dead, his son wants to move on. However, his mother, convinces him to come along with her to the Amazon to find the location where the Dr's beacon was last seen. There's a catch though. In order to be able to do this, they have to travel with a documentary film crew or else there will be no funding. This is where we get the Blair witch look and feel to the show, which should come as no surprise since Oren Peli of "Paranormal Activity" fame created the show. Unbeknowst to our heroes, the area where Emmet Cole was last tracked is a place where very few people have gone to and returned, for this area is controlled by the powers of darkness and inhabited by all sorts of ghosts, spirits, demons, zombies, and powerful shaman natives. All of this equals some pretty cool and spooky episodes. One episode that was particularly creepy was the one that dealt with the vengeful spirit of a little girl and her doll collection. When you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about. Along the way, we learn more about the Cole family and how things were not as perfect as they seemed, such as the strained relationship between Emmet and his son, Lincoln. There's also something shady about the expedition's security chief, though we never find out exactly what's going on. Which brings me to my next point, the fact that despite all of this, the show still got canceled. Perhaps this is one of those shows that should have been on cable, since such shows do not require as much ratings and often times deal with more dark subject matters than your typical broadcast network show. Then again, in this age of gutter reality TV shows like "The Jersey Shore", maybe people just don't know what good television is anymore. And that's something more terrifying than any ghost or goblin.
Add a Review
-
bayardhiler22 September 2012
-
sagei9 February 2012It is a fun ride.
A divertissement that knows it's place and embraces it.
No delusions of grandeur. No absurdly convoluted plot whose ending will reduce you to ranting at writers. It's ghost and magic right off the bat.
There is nothing really new here. Only question was can they make it work ?
Yes.
Pace is surprisingly brisk.
Cast is competent rather than brilliant. Poor leslie. Screaming at unseen things is clearly outside her wheelhouse.
In her defence, the effects are nothing to shout about. The setting feels generic.
Yet they managed to occasionally create a sense of creepiness.
Makes for uneasy if not scary viewing.
The real horror in such productions is shaky cam. Thankfully limited by a rather clever device. The boat is home/base for a renowned TV personality and so is fitted with a bunch of mounted cameras . Also the hand-held cams footage is not shot by epileptics.
They went for simplicity. Simple story which should leave you with a simple desire to see how it all plays out.
Can't wait to see what happens next.
Wish them well.
Thank you.
Still pacy but clearly losing steam and viewers.
Could listen to Greenwood all day but looks like this one will live fast and die young.
-------
Cancelled. -
jamesadonovan25 May 2012I hated lost, but this is 'lostesque' it is just an amazing adventure. Each episode could be an episode in the twilight zone, but they have strung it together with the "Searching for Dr Cole" theme.
I loved it, I found myself glued to each episode, there are just no dull parts. I don't know if they will or can hold this together for a second season, but so far it is amazing.
Every film of 'magic', 'exorcism', 'paranormal', 'mythology' etc, is in this series - you watch the first episode and wonder if it can keep it up - but in my humble opinion each episode just gets better. I am not easily fooled into watching and being sucked into a series, this one had me captivated.
Of course there are some downfalls, like "How do they keep that cell phone, or video camera, charged for months", but who cares, the show is great!
Please, Please keep up the great work, don't let this show die the normal death of series 2 mediocrity. -
tiffany-m-298-22927721 February 2012WOW! This show is amazing so far. I absolutely love it. I love the authenticity of it, the legends they are using so far are interesting.
To all the people Who keep complaining about the characters speaking Spanish... for one, its supposed to be in Peru, not Brazil. For 2 the father and daughter are supposed to be people who were part of Emmett's crew, they worked as part of an American show, therefore they are perfectly in the accuracy to be speaking Spanish. The rest of the cast... are American. Maybe you should pay better attention to something before you start criticizing.
Now the camera work, the show isn't supposed to be lost footage, or documentary footage. The premise of the show is these people are making a documentary, behind the scenes type show, while searching for the missing Emmett. Therefore many of the things being shown are not supposed to be the "documentary's" footage, its supposed to be both. some parts we see is whats happening while they are filming this documentary of the search for Emmett. If you can't tell the difference between the cameras then you're not paying attention. Anytime they show someone on the documentary cameras they have a caption to it, naming the person in the shot. When no one is in the shot the documentary footage is shown more grainy. -
organizam20 September 2016I can say just one thing ,,a big shame from "abc" to canceled this rare and beautiful show.The story line is amazing that contain mystery and magic,acting is solid with possibility to getting better as character develop in the future.Sad is that the many less good TV show get a second chance but this TV show no ? Beside the story line and the hole concept of the show,this show contain a very edge of reality that we living,old /new magic and fantasy in the same time,nice mix of parallel reality. Conclusion is that this or similar rare thematic shows get a chance,i will always remember a "Jodorowsky" dune as example. Probably this as comic book or animation will made a much better success the TV show because of freedom.
-
Alhafvar13 October 2012It's OK but the acting isn't really great in the start. Lena and the rest overdo it. The music and sound effects are also too much sometimes. It needs to be more on the background to get me in. Also when Lena leaves her dad please get the other boat out of the shot. It's almost in there for 20 seconds. Not so tight Spielberg. The rest is decent enough to keep watching. Although the Blair Witch camera effect isn't that original. To fill the 10 lines (ugh) The other reviews I read hear are a little bit too positive. A good review should give inside on bad and good angles. Not only positive. That will undermine your opinion.
-
slayerjmk9528 March 2013In 2012, a new TV show aired on ABC called "The River;" amongst the constant release of "found-footage" horror films, or those mixed with traditional film, it seemed only fitting that a television series be made too, since these movies were so popular. Sadly, "The River" was canceled after only 8 episodes, and in these 8 episodes (produced by legend Steven Spielberg) we were introduced to a place where everything we know is wrong. "The River" is centered around an expedition into the Amazon, where TV show host, role model, and father Emmett Cole (Bruce Greenwood) went missing after his 22-year of the Undiscovered Country, a TV series that involved him and his family traversing the wild. Lincoln (Joe Anderson), his mother Tess (Leslie Hope) and some of the old crew of the Undiscovered Country then begin searching for Emmett, who's last position was on the Boiuna, a part of the Amazon that mysteriously vanishes into dense forest.
"The River" is easily one of the most entertaining, thrilling television shows ever made, as its strong cast, great visuals, sleek directing and creativity create an engrossing atmosphere and characters that you love and ones you love to hate. I have no clue why this was canceled because there was so much potential for this show to be something extraordinarily great; a cross between Lost and Prometheus, except Prometheus is getting a sequel. Now, I would recommend this show to everyone because it is something truly different, and full of cerebral scares (and a few jump scares), but because of the way it's filmed I cannot; some people can't handle the "found-footage" angles and shots. But those willing to watch, mainly those who love sci-fi/mystery/horror, will not be sorry. Hopefully someone can get the guys at ABC or whoever to use Kickstarter to bring back The River.
9/10 Stars -
ringnes_herre7 May 2020Most reviews of this show is from around 2012, and people compare it to Lost. I must say, after watching the complete first (and only season) that it's a fitting comparison, but also for all the wrong reasons. It pops up on multiple "underrated horror show" lists, so I figured I should review it (trying to keep it spoiler free). The beginning is rather rushed, but sets an interesting tone and introduce a promising consept. After a while the characters develops. This is also when it starts getting interesting. Then the story falls flat on it's face, with a twist that completely ruins it for me. The eerie and claustrophobic atmosphere dissapear. The "found footage" angle is stretched too far (using "found footage" that has only a vague connection to the TV-show theeme). One might argue that the show even switches genre, sacrifising the exploration and superatural for something completely different. Uptil that point it's a flawed, but promising show. I recommend it for the solid middle episodes, and some might even like the direction it takes. But personally I can't say that I'm dissapointed that it ended when it did.
-
terrellsprecher12 February 2012I am glad to see a good on-the-edge of your seat new series that doesn't have to do with promiscuous women or a crime guaranteed to be solved EVERY episode. I love the feeling of having to wait a week! I miss it. The new style of horror genre take on this series is refreshing and new! New content, pushed boundaries and fresh actors(esses). It is great and I cannot wait for more!! The best part is that ABC is doing it. Fox is getting predictable and I think to have the talent behind this series will ensure that it is not boring after a short while. Plus if you get tired of it, I think J.J. is making another series soon!
-
Srw8314 February 2012First off, WHO CARES if they speak Portuguese or Spanish???? Nobody in Brazil speaks Spanish? That's weird, because I'm betting I could find someone in Brazil who speaks Spanish. Maybe they migrated there? Let it go. Second, holy shat, a show wasn't filmed in the location that it's set in? Stop the presses!!! Huge Hollywood headline, THEY DON'T SHOOT EVERYTHING ON LOCATION!!!??? If those are the two things that made you dislike this show, then it must be pretty good. And if you can't get over that, I can say that you must not enjoy much in the way of TV or movies.
For those of you wondering about this show, my Watchlist consists of like 1700 shows and movies and this is neither outstanding nor the worst thing on earth, like some would have you believe. The camera work isn't all herky jerky, but I can see how it would be annoying at times. If you're looking for something slightly different, I.e. not CSI, with a little mystery involved then this is worth checking out. Plus, Bruce Greenwood is always good and it will definitely make you wonder what the heck is going on.
All in all, I will give this show a chance ondemand, but I'm certainly not setting aside time to view. -
goldenstar211 February 2012Just when I thought that TV could not get any worse along comes this garbage. How can Spielberg allow his name to be associated with this horror. I also picked up that Spanish instead of Portuguese was spoken; I would like to direct the folks responsible for this mess to the CIA website where they can get some useful information about a country for free as they obviously slept through Geography class. The story-line is as jerky as the photography, I am pleased I kept an air-sick bag handy. The "research vessel" looks like the "African Queen" minus good actors. By the time Leslie Hope was sucked into the swamp I was fervently praying that she would never return; her screams were like fingernails being scratched down a chalk-board. The trees full of dolls brought out my hunting instincts; do you get a stuffed animal if you shoot one? The river looks very much like the mangrove swamps on the south side of Puerto Rico, a place I have sheltered in on a boat from a hurricane; not very Amazon like. The fake dragonflies are cool, so I have awarded it one star.
-
brulenewhall10 February 2012OK, so the demise of Lost left me bereft of quality TV. Since then I've been waiting a little impatiently for a series to catch my eye, The River looks like the show I've been waiting for. The plot seems kind of basic at first, like a cheesy reality show parody. Then it hit me with all kinds of weirdness that I did not expect but absolutely love. How to describe it....? Imagine Lost had a threesome with Carnivale and a national geographic show on Amazonian legends. The illegitimate offspring might be something like The River. Its very quick into the action and mystery and the pace is maintained throughout. I liked the camera work, some might moan but its really effective, and the acting is good. I've only seen two episodes but they were jaw-droppingly good, if you loved Lost then I think The River is definitely for you. Enjoy
-
khannaunko10 February 2012Well, well, well.
For a mid-season replacement "The River" Does surprisingly well, premiering to 7.59 Million viewers.
While the large amount of viewers can, possibly, be attributed to a tantalizing trailer released by ABC, i think the viewership will most probably stay the same, if not increase!! The Show is simple in premise, meaning it wont give the average viewer a headache trying to figure out what happened! The actors acquit themselves relatively well, although in some scenes, namely the scene where Leslie hope screams at the evil spirit, are not very convincing.
The special effects are not the best i have ever seen, but for a TV production they are more than passable, being superior to those seen in other shows recently!! The Horror side is, in my opinion, not very horrifying at all. The main instruments used are a few quick shots of something paranormal and some relatively non-scary sound effects!! But the obvious and quick introduction into the world of the supernatural is refreshing and more than entertaining.
All in all, the show is perhaps not the best on TV but it is a far-cry from the worst!! The show had me captivated and interested within 10 minutes and after watching the 2 back-to-back episodes, i am left wanting more! I will certainly be following this to it's conclusion. Eagerly awaiting every step of the journey!! I hope this helps and that you all Enjoy it!! -
Fizgig77710 February 2012They got me to watch the pilot touting Spielberg's name and all that... I didn't expect great things with the whole Paranormal Activity link and actors whom, for the most part, I hadn't heard of before. Made for TV horror and airing on ABC brought the expectations down a bit too.
So, I watched... The acting wasn't horrible; wasn't great either. The storyline did have some intrigue. A few really creepy moments -- mainly surrounding scenes with creepy dolls hung from trees.
Now, with regard to my summary... The camera work is horrendous! I get it... Blair Witch style shooting or amateur documentary style shooting. Whichever... The result was too many unwatchable scenes. Two hours of cameras zooming around aimlessly, ridiculously out of focus, no idea where to look was too much! I was listening more than watching through many sections to keep from getting a headache. Seriously, this made the shoddy camera work in Blair Witch seem fantastic by comparison! Will I continue to watch ? Not likely... Not if the whole series is filmed the way the pilot eps. were. -
lrachanator1 March 2012After reading other reviews, I see that "The River" is a love it or hate it kind of show. My conclusion, if you were a Lost fan, you'll be a fan of this show. I personally like this show. It's different than other shows on TV. The purpose of the show is to keep you on the edge of your seat, and it definitely does that for me.If you're usually critical of shows then you'll find things to be critical of in The River, but for the most part, the acting is believable enough, the plot is simple, the filming adds to the suspense, and it keeps me guessing. I was a Lost fan, and this show really fills the void Lost left behind. . .
-
frankblack-7996129 August 2020For those of you who have seen quite a lot of the found footage horror genre, you most likely will be laughing quite a lot. Production value is good. Good actors are on board. For the younger folks and easy-to-please fan, you will probably get far more out of this short series. The pace of the show is not slow. Its actually over eager IMO. By the end of the first season the show found a good rhythm but lost too many viewers in the first half of season. Would have liked to see where the show went.
-
hollywoodpimp31 March 2012Was really enjoying this show, was somewhat slow paced at first but got interesting and kept me into it.... however as the first season ends (only 8 episodes) I really thought it got worse and the final two episodes just got somewhat stupid and I was at the point where I almost shut it off and gave up, but figured may as well watch the remainder. With the mixture of "Lost" storytelling and "Paranormal Activity", well it soon became "the exorcist" in the finale, far fetched and just plain stupid I thought. I doubt this series will be renewed for a second season, if it is I won't bother watching it, what looked like a promising good series ending up being a disappointment for me.
-
crusader-mxcix23 February 2012WARNING: This is not a show for hard materialists and positivist types. will no doubt 'offend' or 'bore' them somehow. That said, maybe that is why I love it. No 'Darwin' this and that. Not a single line bashing religion or God. Various people from cultures who are actually portrayed as PEOPLE, not 'noble savages' or 'lazy Latino' or the like. Very little PC at all. Very apolitical. Like a breath of fresh air.
Interesting take on the style. A great cast. The effects are more movie house than TV. BIG budget stuff.
The subject is a fascinating one involving mythology and 'magic' and is not bogged down by lame 'nerdcore' explanations of every aspect. Scientific dogma is shattered in the first 15 minutes of the first episode, and the viewer is invited down the Rabbit hole in style. Great show. 'There's Magic out there!' and it's called 'The River'. -
HotDoggyBoomBooM26 April 2022People die but somehow to makes things not go sad they bring them back alive applies only for the main cast . The episodes keep you interested but for how long during the last 2 episodes things go to a logic less mess not worthy of mentioning but the river was a kinda good and bad which is hard to tell .
-
xidiom14 February 2012So this show is my new favorite. I love the horror shows they are coming out with and this is another quality one to add to the mix. Between Walking Dead, American Horror Story and now The River I am a very happy TV watcher. The thing that I liked about the show is it wasn't what I expected. In fact, while watching the first two episodes, I gave up trying to predict what would happen because it is just so crazy and unpredictable. I feel like the characters are interesting and believable in their given situation and they are all driven by something different that makes you want to know more about each of them. I haven't seen anything like this on TV before and I am in love. I hope the show gets the viewers it deserves it would be a tragedy to have it canceled before all the questions that the first two episodes bring up are answered. I also love the way it is filmed, it has a voyeuristic sense of dread that you are some how witnessing a piece of reality that you were not meant to see.
-
martinj9189 February 2012Bouncing the camera around does not make a movie shocking. And deep noises off screen don't convey horror. Maybe this will improve but the first hours were awful. The show seemed to be operating without a script. It may be too demanding to ask the writers to begin the story in a light hearted manner so that the coming shocks had a "normal" for impact. The story progressed from deep off screen noises with expressions of shock on the actors' faces to a jiggle the camera sequence with the usual indication that something horrible is about to happen and then to, well, nothing. It probably goes without saying that the plot will depend on shocking monsters that will appear. It needed some monsters in the first hours and it needed to establish "normal" to give a contest for the shocks. It had neither
-
honeybell001-305-65996029 February 2012Amid a torrent of reality nonsense and cookie cutter TV The River brings something fresh and suspenseful.
There is a "Lost-ish" quality about it, in that the characters are slowly developed and of course the premise of a group of people in the middle of nowhere with some seriously freaky stuff going on.
The River however has a faster pace and a clearer cut goal, that of finding Emmet Cole, a missing naturist/TV host and his filming crew. This makes for a simpler show, one that anyone can get on board with without needing to watch it from the beginning.
The "found footage" bit, well, whatever. I don't necessarily see the point, but I don't find it distracting as some might.
The actors aren't delivering any Emmy-winning performances...yet. If ABC gives this show a chance beyond season 1, I only see The River getting better. -
nospam01-903-77515717 February 2012Unwatchable!
The assumed 'fixed' cameras they allegedly put every couple of yards have a downgraded picture quality, so that you 'know' it's one of those fixed ones.
The other 2 cameras are hand-cameras apparently held by people with Parkinson's disease, with any stabilizer switched off, so that it looks more like 'authentic' documentary footage, but it just makes you seasick.
Also the stuff the Spanish speaking girl utters is very badly translated.
Switched it off after 20 minutes.
Avoid at any costs! -
sofblaze-301-7962937 March 2012I have 4 boys from ages 18 to 9 and its hard to find a show or movie that we all love to watch.Well this one does it all they cant wait to see the next episode every week ... thank you to whoever made this show possible...we all love the suspense that this show gives and the cant figure out what will happens next theme about it...I wish more shows out there were like this.I agree with other people that there are to many shows out there with the best looking most talented people out there that can sing and dance and some what act, well most of us are not like that and are just average thats why Seinfeld was so assume.and friends, shows about real life stuff.That most people can relate to.
-
TheFarscapeProject74711 February 2012I knew even before watching the show that there would be people who would be sitting down with a pen and notebook ready to nitpick and complain that this show was either ripping off Lost, or not enough like it. In almost every review here and most places people mention Lost. As I said these people are in a jungle, and there are strange, supernatural, and horrific things that go on there, in the first half it's something that makes a loud noise along with a voice behind it and people are crying "Black smoke monster!" The thing is neither black, smoke, or even a monster. after that the similarities with Lost end.
For example the supernatural elements in The River are based on real myths and legends of the Amazon. The dolls hanging in the trees was/is something the natives did to keep away evil spirits. And whatever the name of the thing was in the first half is also based on actual mythology. Now the supernatural elements in Lost were are completely original to the show. The Mythology of Lost was all made up by the producers and writers of the show.
Now as for the non Lost stuff, the show is shot in documentary style ala paranormal activity mixed with any other nature documentary ever made, with only SOMETIMES shaky camera work. In fact the majority of the camera work is like watching a DOCUMENTARY, when we aren't seeing a POV from someone holding a camera it's from a camera mounted or on a tripod or something. After all one of the show's creators is the director of the PA movies, and yet people seem surprised and even insulted by this!
Oh yes and to Mark Pittam who complained in his review that the missing boat they find had modern equipment. The boat had only been missing for SIX MONTHS, not since the 80's so pay attention next time. And to the person who gave a bad review because it was all unknown actors, Really?
Anyway The River is absolutely a truly fantastic and original show. It is not like anything that has been done as a TV show before. I suppose the name of the genre of movies like PA, Blair Witch etc is called "found footage" which really doesn't make much sense because that idea only applied to BW and Cloverfield. Nobody found the footage buried somewhere in the PA movies or The River but I digress. There have been plenty of movies like that but this is the first attempt at a TV show and I think it works better than most of those movies. The camera work even when shaky with people running is of higher quality and even the stuff that's supposed to be difficult to see is easier than the movies.
The plot starts out simple, the host of a popular nature documentary show, Dr Emmett Cole, went missing in the Amazon along with his cameraman and some other crew members on his boat "The Magus" Six months later a beacon or some kind of GPS goes off and Cole's wife convinces her estranged son to come with her to look for him. Along with them comes the show's producer, a shady "bodygaurd" with an arsenal, the boat's pilot and his teenage daughter, and some new camera people crew and and together they, well I don't think sail is the word but take off on their own boats down the Amazon river. Throughout the show we get some back story and some flashbacks about the Coles, and warnings from the daughter of the pilot. It's not very long into the first half of the show when they find "The Magus" and the beacon itself, but the boat is deserted. Then things really start to get creepy, watch this show with the lights turned off and the sound turned up and you will feel like you are watching a movie. From dragonflies, to dark spirits, to possessions, to communication through magic, to a tree with creepy dolls that should not be F'd with, and all that in the first two episodes. The River is a journey into The heart of darkness, the line that works that has been used before to describe this show would be "There are some places that we are not meant to go, oh yeah and don't f@#$ with things you don't understand