Roel1973
Three junkies enter a derelict house in order to cook crystal meth. Soon they start sampling their own product and paranoia takes over. Or is there something spooky going on? Director (and DOP) Dan Mintz makes great use of the old boarded up house with its creaky floors and doors and where nary a ray of sunlight can enter. He also offers some effective jump scares, but it's the oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere which makes this surprisingly strong horror film stand out for me. I also love that it offers only a hint of the paranormal and remains ambiguous until the end.Also worth mentioning is lead Brad Hunt who can act all kinds of nervous and paranoid and really gets under your skin.
Vomitron_G
"Cookers" sure was a nice surprise, as I expected very little from it. A good tagline for this one could possibly be "Tweeker Hell", or something. Because I've seen quite a few people act a bit "weird" while "under the influence", but those were a far cry from the way freak-junky Hector behaved in this flick. Man, that guy was messed up. Totally. The whole time. It might have been an accurate portrayal when it comes to "speedy" behaviour. It might have been exaggerated. But I do not want to even know how much dope it takes to make a guy act like him. Anyway, so the drug-part was pretty fascinating in this one, but the 'ghostly/haunted'-part was, well, pretty good (with the creepy stuff interacting with possible drug-induced hallucinations and all), but near the end it seemed like the movie went a little too "Blair Witch" for my tastes. Well, at least that's how it seemed, because unfortunately my DVD started messing-up near the end (pause-continue-pauze-etc), so I couldn't quite make out all that was happening there... Still, I'll gladly give this one another watch, just to see what's up with the ending.
Metapharstic
Cookers is a tidy low-budget number, an excellent foray into the world of Meth addiction. Two cookers, Dorena and Hector, disappear into the wilderness with the idea to cook up a batch of high-grade meth, sell it at a huge price, and spend the rest of their lives on permanent vacation. The problem is, the cookers can't keep their fingers -- and noses -- out of the goods. As they continue to cook, they continue to use, staying up for days at a time. Paranoia, hallucinations, and petty squabbles ensue. The story pretty much demands that you buy into their addiction, otherwise it's just going to fall apart. Brad Hunt's performance as the constantly-tweaking Hector really sells the entire movie, his twitching, nervous, Meth-fueled paranoia realistically portrayed.There are a few minor problems, however. Dorena's backstory is a little, shall we say, TYPICAL, which is kind of odd considering how well the script is otherwise. Also, the film tends to lose steam as it reaches its ultimate conclusion, as if the writer couldn't think of an appropriate way to end the film. I will note, however, that Hector's demise is horrifying, especially considering his state-of-mind at the time. And other than a few poorly-executed special effects sequences -- which could have easily been replaced with more of that bump-in-the-night suspense the film relies on most of the time -- there's really nothing to complain about, technically speaking. The film looks great despite its limited budget, though you can't go in expecting this to look like a slick Hollywood production. No, the film wears its budget on its sleeve, something you'll have to overlook if this type of thing is a problem for you. Let me put it this way: If you dug Session 9, then Cookers shouldn't be a problem.The guy at the video store gave me a heads-up in terms of what to expect, and I'll repeat it here: "It's basically just three actors, one camera, and one house. I think the Blair Witch Project had a bigger budget, though it works on the same level." If that doesn't tell you what you're in for, then I don't know what else to do for you.Cookers could have fumbled the ball, especially considering its subject matter. But instead of using stereotypical images, situations, and characters to dress a by-the-numbers horror film, the director has chosen to insert these tragic figures in the middle of a realistic situation, something a lot of Internet reviewers seem to have a problem with. Though the following statement may give away a bit too much, I'm of the belief that the things in my head are far more terrifying than anything in the real world, supernatural or not. Was I expecting a big pay-off? Not really. The film ended as it should, I think, with the viewer coming down from a serious mindf*ck and stepping into the sunlight for the first time in days. My hats off to everyone involved. Fine work, indeed.Cookers, is a little flawed, but highly recommended. Keep in mind, however, that it's not strictly a horror movie. Horrifying, yes. Horror, no.But don't let that stop you from seeing it.
