Regression (I) (2015) User Reviews (153)

Critics seems to forget...

[allankaaber · 7/10 · 12 November 2019]

This film is based on real events. People seem to forget that, when they say the ending was disapointing. Well the end was already written for this movie. Someone else is claiming that the director protects satanic cults, because no evidence was found. Well again it was based on real events and guess what. No evidence was found. Everybody has a right to an opinion, these guys are not to be talen seriously.

When thats said, I think it was a good movie. Predictable, but a solid thriller.

Some flaws but an engaging film

[james-xd · 7/10 · 10 October 2015]

This film is not a conventional 7 - a score I would tend to give to a decent but not outstanding film. Regression was in some ways an 8, or dare I say it 9, but some of its flaws are just too bad g to ignore.

I will start by talking about its strong points. The story line and script were engaging, unpredictable and fresh. There were enough twists and turns to keep the viewer guessing, and without too much in fact happening, the film is disturbing and uncomfortable to watch. The twists as the film goes on are not outlandish - a careful viewer will be able to pick up on a number of subtle clues. The acting is good and the characters succeed of convincing us of their roles - mostly.

What then is wrong? First and foremost - whilst the female lead is a good actress, her American accent just isn't convincing enough for us to forget about Hermione. Secondly, whilst I am no expert of the American justice system, some of the practises and actions taken by the police seem questionable and unrealistic. The psychologist is cliché and annoying - going round insulting strangers for having religious beliefs. The ending is an anti climax once the big revelation has occurred, and it seems like the writers tried to re kindle the atmosphere, which doesn't happen. The ending is also a bit hard to square in your mind logically.

Therefore, whilst this film is a very enjoyable watch, its flaws deprive it of the 8+ score in my eyes.

Enjoyable mystery/thriller

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 25 January 2016]

Mystery/thrillers are always the movies that I enjoy the most. I just like that genre, where you relax and try to figure out what's going on. Sometimes they are bad and sometimes they are good like this one. I didn't see the end coming and that's what I like most about it. Even though I would have preferred another ending, it doesn't matter because it came as a surprise to me and that I enjoy. Especially when it's with good actors like Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson. All the other actors were quality as well. I truly enjoyed the dark passages of Regression. Good job from Alejandro Amenábar. I will certainly watch more of his movies. I can get that some people don't like the movie but to give it a rating under five is just ridiculous. That's my point of view. Certainly when you see the amount of garbage movies that get more points then Regression.

A movie about a Psychological Treatment not working as it should be...

[Dr_Sagan · 8 February 2016]

I wouldn't say that the title is misleading. On the contrary it is pretty clear. This is a movie about a Psychological Treatment (Regression) not working as it should be and producing false results.

A young woman (Emma Watson) accuses her father for sexual abusing her. The detective (Ethan Hawke) who is on the case assisted by a psychoanalyst (David Thewlis) who uses Sigmund Freud's Regression method, uncover evidence of a satanic cult.

The movie is rather slow. Tries to be scary a few times but overall it seems lazy in this goal too. It has an eerie feel but fails to seduce you into its dreaming sequences.

Overall: Most certainly not "Rosemary's Baby". Maybe if you are a fan of Emma Watson and want to see her in something else than Harry Potter...

Good! Quite good!

[Patient444 · 6/10 · 23 January 2016]

If you can trust an actor to make a good horror, lately that one is Ethan Hawke. From Sinister, to The Purge, or Daybreakers, he knows how to pick them and make the most of them.

A lot more psychological than the rest, Regression has a beautiful story, with a great dark atmosphere, suspense, scares, all the ingredients to a good little horror. I was intrigued from start to end, waiting to see more, trying to wrap my brain around it, and expecting a finish that would make the most sense.

And boy I got it all! It really is a great production, an example of what a horror should look like, goes hand in hand with Deliver Us From Evil, both movies are smart and filled with tension.

Cheers!

Amenabar and Hawke Worked So Well Together Here!

[3xHCCH · 7/10 · 22 October 2015]

For a long time, Alejandro Amenabar has been one of my favorite writer- directors for the twisted suspense thrillers. He was quite prolific at the turn of the century -- "Thesis" (1996), "Open Your Eyes" (1997) and his English-language debut "The Others" (2001). His biographical drama "The Sea Inside" won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2004.

Since then though, his output had been sparse. That was why when I heard that he will be releasing a new film this year entitled "Regression," I made sure I went to watch it.

Seventeen-year old Angela Gray accuses her father of sexually abusing her. Detective Bruce Kenner is assigned to her case. The father meekly admits to the crime, but does not actually recall doing it. Kenner seeks the help of Psychology professor Kenneth Raines to elicit his repressed memories, as well as those of the other members of the Gray family, via hypnotic regression. What is revealed from these sessions are diabolical confessions of such disturbing nature that Kenner himself could not get them out of his own mind.

Ethan Hawke is such a good actor, really. From his feature debut in "Dead Poet's Society," then "Before Sunrise" (and its series), "Gattaca," "Sinister" to his Oscar-nominated performances in "Training Day" and "Boyhood," this guy can really portray the most ordinary characters and wind up making them very memorable. His intense take of the obsessed Bruce Kenner was riveting and infectious. His visions become our visions, his beliefs our beliefs. He had a flawless interactive rapport with Amenabar's camera, registering and conveying the anger, paranoia, confusion, and fear of his character so well on screen.

Emma Watson returns on her trajectory to becoming a serious movie actress after being sidelined by unfortunate roles in "This is the End" and "Noah." The talent and the promise are there, but the connection with her role as the troubled Angela was not as convincing as that of Hawke's. Her best performances were still those for Hermione Granger. Her young adult performances in films like "Perks of Being a Wallflower" and "The Bling Ring" had a certain unnatural stiffness in them, as it was again here as well.

Credible supporting performances were given by David Thewlis as the authoritative Prof. Raines and David Dencik as Angela's repentant father John. Going a bit over the top was Dale Dickey and her exaggeratedly demented performance as Angela's grandmother Rose. The strangest casting decision was that of Lothaire Bluteau as the priest Reverend Murray. He exuded such a creepy vibe, which of course may be the director's intention.

While "Regression" was still not on the same level of excellence as "Open Your Eyes" or "The Others," Alejandro Amenabar returned to form with this comeback project of sorts. The script, though weak and flawed in certain aspects (like motive, for one important example), was still logical and grounded despite dealing with controversial religious and psychological matters. The storytelling engages you despite the dark unpleasant topics and relentlessly morbid atmosphere. I am looking forward to the next Amenabar opus. I hope it does not take so many years anymore. 7/10

Tells a story rather than spewing out a string of special effects

[sirat-202-178299 · 5/10 · 9 October 2015]

I don't think this one will take any prizes for acting, or even for its fairly modest special effects, but it has a reasonably intelligent script and enough tension and intrigue to keep the audience awake. It takes its inspiration from a wave of Satanic child abuse accusations and actual court cases that swept the world in the 1980s and 90s, but fizzled out with very little hard evidence emerging and very few convictions. Many blamed 'false memories' implanted by well-meaning counselors and psychologists and even the Press, unintentionally encouraging people in the creation of fantasies. 'Regression' tries to show how, in a manner reminiscent of the Salem witch trials, human suggestibility creates 'evidence' out of thin air, and delusional states become contagious. In doing this it is of course skating on thin ice, since similar ideas have often been used in attempts to discredit the claims of those reporting genuine 'historical' cases of assault or abuse.

The resolution presented in 'Regression' is perhaps one of the least satisfying aspects of the film, and I was surprised that no reference was made to the fundamentalist Christian element for which parts of America are so famous.

I think this one entertains, and after a slowish start builds up to quite a fast and dramatic pace in the second half. I would definitely recommend seeing it, but I don't think you would lose very much by waiting for it to get to rental or television.

Intimately disturbing and suspenseful!

[RLTerry1 · 7/10 · 20 May 2016]

Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke star in a film that is one part crime drama and one part supernatural thriller. Inspired by actual cases and claims of growing Satanic cults in the Midwestern part of the country in the late 80s and early 90s, Regression follows one detective's journey through science, superstition, and organized religion to discover the truth of what happened to a seventeen year old young lady named Angela (Emma Watson) who claimed her father molested her. Opening with the interrogation of her father, Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) is confronted with the conundrum of a suspect who does not deny the vomit-inducing allegations, but is greatly struggling to remember what happened. Cool color temperatures, dreary weather, effective acting, and a creepy small town all come together to make creepy psychological thriller of good versus evil.

Occurring at a time that reports of Satanic cults with blood curdling rituals began to hit a high, Regression brings you face to face with now-discredited psychological therapy practices, blood sacrifice, and sexual deviance. Follow detective Bruce Kenner as he attempts to put the puzzle of what actually happened to Angela together in order to solve this perplexing mystery. First approaching this as a disturbing but typical minor molestation case, Kenner quickly learns that there is much more to this case than meets the eye. As evidence is uncovered and truths are made known, this investigation goes much deeper and crosses public safety and family boundaries.

This is one of those plots that is difficult to analyze without giving away key parts of the mystery. If you enjoy watching films that contain prolific symbolism and question institutions that exist for physical and spiritual protection, then you will undoubtedly find this film, from the Weinstein Company that flew under the radar, intriguing. Although it is definitely a slow burn, it never moves too slowly and does provide enough of a hook to keep you going. Be sure to pay close attention to every line of dialogue because (hind sight being 20/20 and knowing the ending) there are definitely clues dropped here and there that all point to the answers for which Kenner is looking.

The investigation at the core of the plot is three fold: spiritual, scientific, and legal. Bruce Kenner partners with both a local psychology professor and a reverend to uncover what happened to Angela. As one might expect in a movie such as this, the professor and reverend have vastly different approaches to this mystery. For psychology students or professionals watching this film, you will witness the practice of regression as it plays a significant part in the investigation. The aforementioned practice also raises awareness to invasive psychological therapy techniques. As this film technically falls within the horror genre, it is definitely not short on social commentary. With physical evidence in short supply and a suspect who cannot remember what happened, Kenner relies upon the psychological evidence gather by the professor. Little do our investigators know that these aggressive interview techniques play more into the mystery than they could have known.

Ugh. There is so much more about be plot I'd love to analyze but that would take the fun out of watching it and ruin the mystery for you. So switching gears. From a technical perspective, the film is not remarkable in any way. Neither is it lacking in cinematography or direction. However, movies in this sub genre of horror can so often feel and look like a Lifetime original movie, especially because it includes a significant female character who claims to have been molested. Thankfully, director Alejandro Amenabar (The Others) provides audiences with a "Lifetime" plot that is still cinematic enough to avoid the stigma of "another Liferime movie in theatres." Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke display excellent acting prowess along with a few of the other key players in this narrative. For the most part, the acting is on par with this crime drama. All the filmmaking elements come together nicely to keep your attention for the hour and a half runtime.

If you enjoy mysteries that confront science and religion, then you will definitely enjoy this film. Right now, it is one of the movies included with your Amazon Prime subscription. Rated R for some visual sexual content, it is pretty tame as far as rated R movies go. There is a gritty and real feel to the movie that might be a little too terrifying for some viewers. However, this IS a psychological thriller that contains many of the earmarks of a good horror film.

Failed attempt at a thinking man's horror film

[lucasversantvoort · 5/10 · 14 December 2015]

Being a nineties kid, I didn't experience the supposed social panic surrounding satanic cults in the eighties, which is where Regression draws its inspiration, claiming to be inspired (not even 'based on') by true events. Both Regression's success and failure can be linked back to its final plot twist, a twist that--while surprising--undoes all that comes before.

John Gray is accused by his own daughter, Angela (Emma Watson) of sexual abuse. There's only one problem: he doesn't remember it at all. Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) takes an interest in the case. As he digs deeper and deeper together with a psychologist, he becomes convinced that a satanic cult are operating behind the scenes. Needless to say, his tireless pursuit of the truth starts to take its toll on his own mental health.

Any and all discussion of Regression starts and ends with the final plot twist. Spoilers ahead. All I can say is that it changes everything, but not in a good way. This is where the setting and the obsession with satanic cults comes into play. It turns out that Angela made everything up just to get away from her family. (The film makes it sound slightly more plausible.) This throws the entire satanic cult theme straight into the trash. I guess Regression tried to do a reverse Rosemary's Baby by there not being a cult at all. However, the film seems bent on pointing the finger at you and shaming you for believing it. The fact that you went along with it, the film seems to suggest, is proof how easily this kind of collective hysteria could exist. I get that and it's a decent concept, but...that's real life; this is film. We've seen stranger stuff than this. You can't dangle satanic cults in front of the audience for ninety percent of the film, do a 180 and then mock the audience for even buying it for a second.

Also, the twist undoes all that has come before. What we're left with is a sociopathic girl and a bunch of nightmare sequences. Now that there's no cult, all the twists and reveals start to feel a little too convenient. The film tries to explain it away with regression therapy inducing false memories and the effects (nightmares, etc.) of social panic, but it feels thin and certainly doesn't make for gripping storytelling.

Regression tries to be something more than just a generic horror flick. You can tell simply by the fact that the jump-scares are kept to a minimum. Also, when you consider the director's previous efforts, it feels like the end result should've been something like a thinking man's horror film, but it just never gets there and not even the actors' best efforts can save it.

Hard to Review

[jessejgill94-100-364764 · 2/10 · 3 February 2016]

I won't make this too long, as I don't want to spoil anything, but I can honestly say this film is hard to review because it had so few things to even comment on.

The single worst thing about the movie was the character progression... in that there was none. The characters were just kind of thrown into the movie in a way that made you feel like you were already supposed to know about their lives there for the make sure not to tell us a single personal thing about any of them. I kept thinking there must have been an error and we missed the first half of the film because it was going on as if we were supposed to have this connection with the people and at no point could I ever remember their names. There was even a scene literally within the first 30 minutes that was made to seem like it was a huge revaluation about a character being a bad guy and I remember thinking "oh... the guy we've only seen one other time? Okay...". Even Emma Watson's character, a huge part of the story and involved in the "climax" at the end, was on screen maybe 15 minutes in total the whole film. Ethan Hawk and David Thewlis were in about 99% of the movie and I cant remember their character names and at no point did I ever learn anything about them other than their occupation.

All in all, I left the theater wondering why I was supposed to care about any of the events that took place because, with the lack of character attachment, it all meant nothing.

Hidden Gem of a Movie "Regression" Ethan Hawke

[cacjade · 8/10 · 11 April 2016]

I would have never watched this movie if I had seen the low ratings "stars" this movie received. I am glad that I saw it first. This movie may appeal more to people who grew up in the 1970's and 80's. In that time frame there was a underlying paranoia about satanism helped along by our Mothers and Media.We were told that there were hidden satanic messages in music and other forms of entertainment. There were many movies about satanic worshipers,Cults,anti-Christ and Demons.This movie does a good job of encapsulating that paranoia. I have to say the acting is good and the cinematography is really good. If you like mystery/Thriller movies and lived through the 70's and 80's I think you will like this Movie.The younger generation should also give it a try, you might enjoy it. I Give it 8 at 10 stars.

Alejandro Amenabar

[yusufpiskin · 7/10 · 31 March 2020]

Best thing: As Ethan Hawke is imagining the "fornication" alleged to have taken place in a barn in the middle of a Satanic meeting, we see his visualisation of a naked couple making out materialise inside the car that is parked in there. The Satanic visions are often (intentionally) hilarious. In another film we might be expected to take those same sequences seriously, but anyone who knows the slightest thing about the Satanic Panic will understand why that is not the case here.

Worst thing: Sometimes imitates the cheesy supernatural BS movies a little too accurately. When a woman is terrified by a domestic cat, I couldn't help but remember the stupidity of similarly styled movies like "The Rite" with Anthony Hopkins or "White Noise" with Michael Keaton. Despite the inevitable reversal, Regression can often feel rather more sincere in its depiction of superstitious hogwash than is really appropriate.

Alejandro Amenabar is a director who seems to hold an obsession with unusual twists on the concept of the afterlife (Open Your Eyes, The Others) and the opposition of faith and reason (The Sea Inside, Agora). It's a little unfortunate that audiences mainly seem to be disappointed by this film when they discover that there WASN'T a massive baby-murdering conspiracy organised by hooded Satanists - as if that were a massive surprise! (For once, a film claiming to be based on real life actually tells the truth.)

The real mystery here is how anyone comes to believe in hooded Satanists if there, in fact, weren't any. It is the subtext that much of what we see in the film is the product of mass hysteria which really made the film interesting to me.

As for performances, Ethan Hawke and David Thewlis are both brilliant. I've actually heard some people claim that Emma Watson is the best thing about this film, but it seemed clear to me that her accent wasn't even as convincing as in other films where she's used an American accent before.

Perhaps a rather odd comparison I'd like to make is with "The Witch". You see, "The Witch" showed events as they were described by settlers. Similarly "Regression" shows events very much from the perspective of Ethan Hawke's detective character. What we see in the film is the hysteria of unfounded fears from an insider's perspective and that is something common to both films.

So what is this film's take on the satanic panic? Well the clue's in the title. The key to everyone believing the crazy statements devoid of evidence so completely is the supposedly "scientific" methods of 'hypnotic regression'. This crosses over with some Satan-centred rhetoric on television and at the local Church to produce an explosive combination. One criticism I've heard is that a lot of those coming forth with dodgy statements were much younger than Emma Watson's character and were fed their stories much more forcefully, but I think the filmmakers are keen to show this from the perspective of a well-meaning relateable police officer who is trying to do his job well. That would be a tough sell if he were shown badgering young children in the interview room.

While I greatly admired many aspects of Amenabar's previous film "Agora" I recognise that it has a number of failings. But Regression was a very interesting and compelling cinematic experience for me and I simply do not understand the hate.

It happened one night

[Prismark10 · 2/10 · 18 July 2016]

Regression is about false memory syndrome and outbreak of mass hysteria in some parts of the USA.

Director and writer Alejandro Amenábar seems to have lost his way when he showed so much promise some years ago.

Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) gets obsessed about an investigation on satanic cults and ritual sex abuse. One young woman (Emma Watson) believes she was abused as a child including by her father. The more Kenner delves into this investigation he becomes unhinged, even thinks that fellow police officers might have something to hide. Eventually Kenner thinks people are seeing what they want to see and hear what they want hear as the line between lies and reality have become blurred.

The film comes across as flat, slow and subdued. It is one of these small town thrillers that actually looks cheap despite a few known stars being cast. There should had been an interesting, thought provoking film however it just ended up being dismal with cheap scares. I think you might be better off watching Rosemary's Baby.

The film has a confused point of view

[aestivator · 10 October 2015]

I knew nothing about the film before I watched it, nor about the events on which it is based. Perhaps because of this I became very confused about the film's point of view.

At base, this film asks the viewer to try to distinguish reality from fantasy during a police inquiry into accusations of satanic abuse. The problem with the fim-maker's style, for me, was that all the resources of cinema were used to illustrate not only the satanic abuse reported by witnesses but also other scenarios that had not been reported, so we saw constant scenes of abusers with spookily made-up faces and monks' cowls, and various horrific depictions of satanic abuse. Because cinema is a naturalistic medium, it was difficult to know what was fantasy and what was reality.

The film in some ways had a classic detective-story structure, with Ethan Hawke as the determined investigator. But it became clear that he was an unreliable first-person character after he began behaving irrationally, and that left me, as a viewer, with nothing to cling to as a source of viewpoint in the film. When it came to scenes in which the detective was absent, it was even more difficult to distinguish what the film-maker was depicting as real and what as fantasy. For example, when the victim's grandmother went out to her shed, she saw a normal cat, which turned into a devil cat. This had nothing to do with the investigation, yet its satanic imagery was of the same type as that provoked by the regression-therapy sessions. Perhaps some point was being made about the phenomenon of group hallucination or delusion, but the film repeatedly neglected its responsibility to give us a touchstone by which we could judge the accuracy of what we were seeing.

I think the film could have addressed the topic better with the excellent actors at its disposal by NOT depicting any of the satanic events. It would have been all the more chilling for that, adding to the tension of the inquiry. The most famous dramatisation of this sort of subject matter was Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". Miller creates nightmarish scenes of communal paranoia but without illustrating any of the events described by the witnesses. And this does not hinder the story's potency. (What could be more horrific than to see Miller's village girls in full accusatory mode, triggering the arrest of various pillars of the community on charges of devil worship?) "Regression", however, lacks the necessary moral distance from the events it depicts. Only in the last minute or two is sanity restored. I left the cinema feeling as if I had been cruelly led about by the nose to no satisfactory purpose.

Another great movie from Oscar winner Amenabar

[cool_andhot · 7/10 · 24 December 2019]

I guess the low ratings are from the people who expected a blood gore or jump scare because of the Satanic theme in the movie. I don't want to give away the story so you will miss the fun. This movie is a decent suspense thriller with all the satanic devotion elements and given complete explanation. If you like suspense psychological thriller with some horror elements, then you should watch it.

An engaging thriller

[thom59 · 7/10 · 4 August 2018]

Judging by the reviews it seems to be a polarizing film that has determined this, rather unfair, low score. I found Regression to have an interesting premise, well written, crafted and credibly pulled off by stylish director Alejandro Amenábar. Writer/director of The Others and Open your Eyes, as well as writer of the English version, Vanilla Sky. A classic thriller with a classic twist. Worth watching.

Boring

[xerodroid · 1/10 · 25 January 2016]

This movie is full of stars that apparently, had nothing better to do so they made this boring forgettable P O S. If you have nothing better to do and want to waste a couple hours on a film that makes no sense, has a few good actors with parts that aren't believable and characters with no more depth than the width of a sheet of paper, this is it. Somewhere in there is a story line about devil worship and a broken relationship but god help me to find it. What a waste of time, would be giving this movie more credit than is due, it would just be better to say why and weep for the money lost making this disaster. I wouldn't suggest this film to anyone.

Fantastic handling of the topic with a really unfortunate, disappointing ending

[imdb-211 · 6/10 · 3 October 2015]

I think it was high time that we had a really good movie that showed a realistic depiction of what happened during the satanic panic in the 80s and 90s. The movie does a fantastic job depicting how psychologists, policemen, priests, and other people can inadvertently (or, perhaps, somewhat intentionally) implant false memories in people. It also does a good job explaining how regressions don't surface real "buried memories", but actually create new false memories. And finally, it did a great job depicting how one false accusation can trigger others, eventually pulling more and more people into its web.

(Spoiler about movie's ending follows.)

Having said all of that, I found the movie's ending to be cheap and disappointing. The girl who originated the first accusation is basically painted as the bad guy. Hawke's character, a policeman, explicitly calls her out as being evil. In reality, the children making the accusations in the real-world satanic panic were obviously not evil. They were victims themselves, just not victims of satanic ritual abuse. Instead, they were victims of a system that implanted false memories in their minds.

In fact, the way Regression plays out, this would have been a valid ending to the movie, since there were people who were egging her on, giving her new ideas for people to accuse, and stories to concoct.

Instead, Amenábar decided to end the movie with the unrealistic idea that she somehow planned this whole thing as a revenge plot against her own family, and to get out of her family's influence. It's unrealistic, it's insulting to the audience, and it's pulling down what would otherwise have been a nigh perfect movie.

What's more, this kind of victim blaming is actually dangerous. In the real world, it's very rare that women intentionally falsely accuse others of having raped them. At the same time, women's accusations of rape are often dismissed or not taken seriously. Ending Regression in this way, by effectively blaming the women for the whole thing, plays into this narrative of not believing women's accusations.

In addition to all of these points, it would also have been a much more interesting, realistic movie if the conclusion had been that, no, there was no really bad guy. Everybody did their best, and things went to hell anyway, because people are not perfect, and the best intentions can't always guarantee a good outcome. But I guess Hollywood needs a bad guy, and that's what we got.

In conclusion: fantastic movie, but a disappointing, unrealistic, sadly dangerous and kind of insulting ending.

Boringly executed

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 5 May 2018]

REGRESSION is one of those psychological thrillers populated by a cast of victims, police, and psychologists. From the first instance I hated the blue/greyed out colour scheme, which makes this look just like all the rest of the coldly realistic thriller/dramas that do the rounds in today's Hollywood. The story is slow-witted and involves Satanic abuse and a woman who has been raped by her own father. There's a conspiracy angle that doesn't go very far, but mainly this is dialogue based. It tries to be worthy and important but feels quite dull and unpleasant at times. It doesn't help that the lacklustre performances of Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson spoil things further, with only David Thewlis proving a high point in the casting.

A superb thriller.

[barberic-695-574135 · 6/10 · 13 June 2018]

A really clever story involving Satanic cults. An unexpected twist gives this movie the edge over other of a similar genre. Well acted especially by Hawke and Watson. Retained for future viewing.

A mystery thriller by Alejandro Amenabar in which a detective becomes involved into a twisted investigation

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 14 June 2019]

Set in Minnesota in 1990 , Police Inspector Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke), is summoned to find out the complex case of the seventeen-year-old runaway Angela Gray (Emma Watson) . She accuses her daddy , John Gray, (David Dencik) of an unspeakable and ominous crime. As John, confesses to the grisly crime, even though he has no recollection of his action . When John unexpectedly and without recollection admits his heinous guilt, renowned psychologist Dr. Kenneth Raines (David Thewlis) is brought in to help him relive his memories. What they discover unmasks a terrible and baffling result . Meanwhile, the local media hints the possibility that everything could have been a satanic cult's doing. Fear always finds its victim.

Set against the backdrop of a seemingly endless string of suspenseful incidents of satanic ritual abuse in America1990s , Minnesota , in which a detective and a psychoanalyst uncover evidence of a horrifying satanic cult while investigating a young woman's terrifying past and resulting in a bizarre nationwide mystery . The picture displays lots of creepy and weird moments . Confused , tense, controversial and with horrible scenes about practices of satanic worship , devil ritual , eerie sex-scenes and satanism .Production values and set design are highlighted by the usual cool scenarios, as exterior in a little town , as colorful interior. Ethan Hawke gives a good acting as a detective who investigates the case of a strange young . Emma Watson is acceptable along with David Thewlis , both of whom formerly starred in the Harry Potter franchise . Support cast is pretty good , such as : Lothaire Bluteau , Dale Dickey , David Dencik , Devon Bostick , Peter MacNeill and Aaron Ashmore as a suspicious cop.

It contains an evocative and adequate cimnematography by Daniel Aranyó . Shot on location in Mississauga,Hamilton,Newmarket,Toronto,Tottenham,Oakville, Ontario, Canada and Spain . As well as a thrilling and mysterious musical score by Roque Baños . The motion picture was regularly directed by Alejandro Amenábar . At his beginning Amenábar made some Short-Films , he progressed and reached his first commercial success in 1996 with "Thesis" produced by José Luis Cuerda , a film which undoubtedly showed that a major new director had arrived on the scene. Later "Abre Los Ojos" or ¨Open your eyes¨(1997) was remade in Hollywood by Cameron Crowe as Vanilla Sky (2001), starring Tom Cruise and "Los Otros" or ¨The Others¨ confirmed his arrival in the cinematographic world , in which Tom Cruise was executive producer along with Paula Wagner and this marked the last collaboration between Cruise and Nicole Kidman prior to their divorce . ¨Los Otros" enhanced his prestige in the cinematographic world and is Amenábar's first English language film and was the highest grossing Spanish film in the all-time worldwide box office history . In all his films he also writes the script and the music, as well as composing the music for other films, most notably "La Lengua de las Mariposas" (1999) or Butterflies tongue" (1999). He also directed ¨Mar Adentro¨ with the Oscarized Javier Bardem and finally the epic/historical ¨Agora¨ with Rachel Weisz , among others .

The mind is a mystery

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 18 February 2016]

And it's also a mystery how we watch movies or what we expect of them. You may watch something and think it's the best thing ever, just to find out you're more or less alone with that sentiment. But that's why arguing or even discussing movies can be so much fun and is intriguing to say the least.

Take this movie, which is not the best thriller ever made, but is more than rock solid. I really liked it and it has to do with the acting, the mood it builds up, the tension throughout and how it makes sense altogether. That doesn't mean that everyone enjoys it or will enjoy watching it. Especially if you can't wrap your head around what is happening - or how it is happening. Some won't like how it turns out (no pun intended), but it was fitting in my book. It's something more for the mind rather than something that just relies on shock values (though it has more than its fair amount of that too)

Khan Review

[zkzuber · 6/10 · 14 December 2021]

I don't understand why viewers are rating this movie poor, it may not be an excellent movie but had all the ingridents needed to keep the viewers involved. It was definitely not boring I enjoyed watching from start to finish. The actors did good job, music was good, the film is shot decently. It's definitely worth a watch.

Inspired by Uninspiring Events

[bryllefajardo · 4/10 · 14 October 2015]

Like most thriller movies, "Regression" starts out great, and then the next thing you know... it had already gone horribly wrong in almost every aspect. Unsurprisngly, though. Ethan Hawke gave a marvelous performance as he portrayed the role of a detective. However, on the contrary, I was surprised to have thought that the movie's weakest link was Emma Watson. She did good, but the rest of the cast had just out shined her. Also, the movie had great cinematography. The musical scoring was quite good, too. Weird enough, but it wasn't enough to save the movie from its' poor script.

'Regression' is a not-so-thrilling mystery-thriller film for it has failed to deliver what it really is supposed to. I'd say, it kinda got quite pretentious near the end.

An intense mystery

[Gordon-11 · 7 February 2016]

This film tells the story of a policeman who investigates a woman's claim that she is the victim of abuse from a Satanic cult, which includes her father and a fellow policeman colleague.

"Regression" has a very intriguing plot! I have to say that I did not see the twists coming, even though I had several possibilities in mind. Ethan Hawke is convincing as a dedicated policeman who wants to get to the bottom of the abuse, in order to help the poor woman who naturally evokes much sympathy from viewers. The story is intense because the mystery is well built, and the suspense is well kept. I enjoyed watching "Regression" a lot.