Population 436 (2006) (V)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Michelle Maxwell MacLaren

Writer (WGA):

Michael Kingston (written by)

Release Date:

8 September 2006 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The residents of Rockwell Falls are dying for you to visit...

Plot:

A census-taker (Sisto) is sent to investigate why a certain small town has had the same population -- 436 residents -- for the last 100 years.

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Totalitarian | Partial Female Nudity | Conspiracy | Isolation

Cast

Leigh Enns	...	Kathy Most
Susan Kelso	...	Nurse Greaver
Rick Skene	...	Ray Jacobs
Fred Durst	...	Deputy Bobby Caine
David Fox	...	Dr. Harold James Greaver
Peter Jordan	...	Minister Hiller
Charlotte Sullivan	...	Courtney Lovett
R.H. Thomson	...	Sheriff Colcutt
Frank Adamson	...	Mayor Grateman
Reva Timbers	...	Amanda Jacobs
Monica Parker	...	Belma
Jeremy Sisto	...	Steve Kady
Lora Schroeder	...	Gas station attendant
Winston Sisto	...	Dog
Martin Trudel	...	Red

MPAA:

Rated R for brief sexuality and violence.

Runtime:

USA:92 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:16 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Roseisle, Manitoba, Canada

Company:

Pariah

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The license tag is backwards, when the truck rolls over. It should have been easy to read, but they flipped the frame in editing.

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

very good twilight zone style stuff

Being a huge fan of Jeremy Sisto, I had to check out Population 436. This was very good. It sort of plays like a twilight zone episode. Nice little town, what the hell is wrong with the people? Being a big horror fan, I was very pleased with this movie. Jeremy Sisto is such a great actor, He was really good here, just a simple everyman confronted with growing malevolence and secrecy. A surprisingly restrained Fred Durst also gives a nice performance as the deputy. Actually his presence almost kept me from getting this, don't worry, he's actually good here.

Simply put these townspeople are really sick. I highly recommend seeing it on DVD as this includes a very interesting alternate ending. I actually thought this was good enough for theaters, I guess the lack of gratuitous violence kept it out. It's a thinking persons horror flick. With the terror more implied than shown. Very good. In fact to return to the always brilliant Sisto, I don't really think he's been in anything poor, OK Hideaway (96) comes close, but this is another feather in his cap. Lets hope NBC's "Kidnapped" is a hit so we can see more of this fine young actor.