I was very surprised that this movie did not get a better rating compared to some similar titles that were very disappointing. Population 436 is a low budget but to its benefit as it doesn't play the usual visual and audio special effects. Actually, you don't even pay attention as it doesn't require a high-budget that would have ruined it anyway (i.e. The Wickerman - 2006).This movie has a good cast, good acting a very subtle creepiness. You will follow the main character inside a weird, cult society as with The Tenant, Rosemary's Baby, The Wickerman...If you like the genre you will like Population 436. Give it a try.
130 Reviews
436 Mini-Maniacs!
Coventry9 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I enjoyed "Population 436", I have to admit! Sure it was very predictable and a little too tame for my usual liking they could have used a bucket or two of fake blood but director Michelle Maxwell Maclaren maintains a nicely uncanny atmosphere and everyone involved in this production showed a lot spirit. "Population 436" feels like an honorable throwback to the 'creepy little town with a dark secret' sub genre of the older days. It's very similar to films like "Dead and Buried","The Wicker Man", "Messiah of Evil" and in a way even to the almighty Hershell Gordon Lewis' classic "2000 Maniacs", with its plot about the remote little village of Rockwell Falls that holds the same number of inhabitants since more than a complete century. Government worker Steve Kady (Jeremy Sisto) is sent to investigate the registering habits of this little town, only to realize the locals are a bunch of deeply religious lunatics who believe they have to keep their number on 436, otherwise God will severely punish them. Steve is warmly welcomed as a new township member, but that of course means that someone else has to be sacrificed. Writer Michael Kingston tries a little too hard to keep the events going on in Rockwell Falls a secret, even though it's all fairly obvious since the opening sequences already. This approach nevertheless results in a couple of creepy and ominous moments, like the fantastic highlight during the town's autumn festival, but there never are any real surprises or shocks to experience. As stated previously, the film also could have used a little more bloodshed, as that is the least you expect from crazy inbred rednecks living in isolated areas. Still, I very much admire the effort and, since I'm a sucker for unhappy endings it gets another extra point. The filming locations are splendidly chosen and so are the eerie musical tunes and camera viewpoints. The acting performances are far above average with Jeremy Sisto as a convincing hero and the beautiful Charlotte Sullivan as an amiable local girl. Heck, even Fred Durst did a fine job and I'm really relieved that none of his songs were on the soundtrack. Recommended!
I started watching and I couldn't leave
vandeman-scott25 August 2020
POPULATION 436 is pretty OK! It's not super original. I definitely figured out it's a Shirley Jackson style thing right at the very beginning, but it was still fun to watch this version of an old tale unfold.
The movie is professionally done, the "Stepfordesque" performances are creditable, and its simplicity allows the filmmakers to create a quality product with a minimal budget. Without the need for CGI or elaborate special effects, it achieves excellence in fundamental production values. Poorly done effects would have marred what is otherwise rather polished within its constraints.
Any review between 4 and 7 is realistic. Harsher criticism or higher praise are unwarranted.
The movie is professionally done, the "Stepfordesque" performances are creditable, and its simplicity allows the filmmakers to create a quality product with a minimal budget. Without the need for CGI or elaborate special effects, it achieves excellence in fundamental production values. Poorly done effects would have marred what is otherwise rather polished within its constraints.
Any review between 4 and 7 is realistic. Harsher criticism or higher praise are unwarranted.
"Welcome to Rockford Falls."
Backlash00715 October 2006
Population 436 is a welcome change in the direct-to-DVD market. It's actually a good movie. Jeremy Sisto stars as census taker who stumbles into a town where the population has stayed the same for over a 100 years. To say anything else would be to ruin the movie. Let's just say it has a few elements from The Lottery but still remains its own movie. There are excellent twists and turns along the way and the ending is brilliant. There are two endings on the DVD, but the ending they chose for the film was the finale that I wanted to see. It's the perfect ending. And Sisto was the perfect choice for the lead. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite rising stars and he does a lot of genre work. The supporting players are all top-notch. Charlotte Sullivan is perfect, Peter Outerbridge has always been underrated, and Fred Durst can actually act. He's quite good, and that's a big surprise. If you are tired of wading through the trash that covers the walls of your local video store, pick up Population 436. It's a welcome breath of fresh air.
Quite good, considering its limited resources.
Boba_Fett113827 July 2007
This is obviously a movie made with a very low budget and low other resources. The movie however manges well with its limited resources and its good for what it is, although obviously its hardly a genre classic or anything else too remarkable.
The movie begins well but for the viewers it becomes obvious too early on into the movie what the story is all about and where the movie is heading to. It doesn't ever make the movie good as a mystery-movie but its atmosphere and other things compensate for this.
As other reviewers have pointed out already, the movie has a great creepy kind of "The Twilight Zone" atmosphere, despite that the movie itself not being scary at all. I am however convinced of it that if this was an actual "The Twilight Zone"-episode, it would be considered one of the best ever. The atmosphere and the professional feeling of the movie make the movie work out, even though it all is nothing too remarkable or original.
The movie has a good visual style and due to the fast directing (which was I think probably due to the limited shooting time) the movie flows well. It's cinematography is good and it provides the movie with a couple of pretty pictures. The movie also tries to be creative at times and also provide it with a couple of scare moments but this mostly does not work out.
The movie its concept is interesting and I guess that it even had more potential in it, than used in the actual movie now. All of the elements now used feel rather formulaic and predictable. The movie perhaps also feels a bit like a poor man's "The Village".
Jeremy Sisto is a good 'big' leading man for a this kind of movie, though I expected more from him honestly. The supporting cast does a good job although this movie of course hardly features any of the best performances.
Worth a watch, if you're into the genre.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
The movie begins well but for the viewers it becomes obvious too early on into the movie what the story is all about and where the movie is heading to. It doesn't ever make the movie good as a mystery-movie but its atmosphere and other things compensate for this.
As other reviewers have pointed out already, the movie has a great creepy kind of "The Twilight Zone" atmosphere, despite that the movie itself not being scary at all. I am however convinced of it that if this was an actual "The Twilight Zone"-episode, it would be considered one of the best ever. The atmosphere and the professional feeling of the movie make the movie work out, even though it all is nothing too remarkable or original.
The movie has a good visual style and due to the fast directing (which was I think probably due to the limited shooting time) the movie flows well. It's cinematography is good and it provides the movie with a couple of pretty pictures. The movie also tries to be creative at times and also provide it with a couple of scare moments but this mostly does not work out.
The movie its concept is interesting and I guess that it even had more potential in it, than used in the actual movie now. All of the elements now used feel rather formulaic and predictable. The movie perhaps also feels a bit like a poor man's "The Village".
Jeremy Sisto is a good 'big' leading man for a this kind of movie, though I expected more from him honestly. The supporting cast does a good job although this movie of course hardly features any of the best performances.
Worth a watch, if you're into the genre.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
Mundane re-run of Two Thousand Maniacs, less the gore
The_Void28 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Population 436 was a point of interest for me because of its main plot line. The idea behind the film is definitely intriguing, and I've got to say that I did want to discover the mystery behind the film; but the plot is also the film's biggest problem. Writer Michael Kingston seems too content to let the film simply wallow in it's central idea rather than building it up, so what we're left with is a movie with a rather dry final third, as it soon becomes obvious that it's not going anywhere it hasn't gone already. The plot is fairly original in itself; but the handling isn't, as most everything about the film reeks of Herschell Gordon Lewis' classic 'Two Thousand Maniacs', only without the bloodshed. The plot focuses on Steve Kady; a man that works for a census-taking agency. He is dispatched to a small town called 'Rockwell Falls' in order to investigate why their population has been at 436 for the last hundred years or so. While there, several instances transpire and our man soon finds out that the town of Rockwell Falls isn't quite right; and the reason why the population stays the same is more than a coincidence.
At first, I thought the reason why the residents of Rockwell Falls have opted to keep their population at 436 was so they wouldn't have to change their painted sign, and actually; the real reason isn't too far away from being that drab. The film starts off with a woman giving birth, inter-cut with a scene that sees a man killed in a car accident. I guess this would be a pretty good indicator for most people as to why the population stays at 436 right from the off, and the film makes a habit of not keeping it's cards close enough to it's chest as heavy hints are dropped often and by the time it gets to actually finding out the mystery, you already know. However, in the film's favour; it does feature an amiable lead performance from Jeremy Sisto. Sisto made his best film with 'May', and since then has also starred in that Dead and Breakfast rubbish, and some American TV shows. Population 436 is directed by Michelle Maxwell MacLaren, a director that has only worked on TV shows prior to making this; and it shines through, as the movie never feels any more ambitious than your common TV movie. Overall, Population 436 is not essentially 'bad' - but it's not very good either. Feel free to skip this one.
At first, I thought the reason why the residents of Rockwell Falls have opted to keep their population at 436 was so they wouldn't have to change their painted sign, and actually; the real reason isn't too far away from being that drab. The film starts off with a woman giving birth, inter-cut with a scene that sees a man killed in a car accident. I guess this would be a pretty good indicator for most people as to why the population stays at 436 right from the off, and the film makes a habit of not keeping it's cards close enough to it's chest as heavy hints are dropped often and by the time it gets to actually finding out the mystery, you already know. However, in the film's favour; it does feature an amiable lead performance from Jeremy Sisto. Sisto made his best film with 'May', and since then has also starred in that Dead and Breakfast rubbish, and some American TV shows. Population 436 is directed by Michelle Maxwell MacLaren, a director that has only worked on TV shows prior to making this; and it shines through, as the movie never feels any more ambitious than your common TV movie. Overall, Population 436 is not essentially 'bad' - but it's not very good either. Feel free to skip this one.
Average in all aspects
dblaine00714 July 2006
Well, I was kind of hoping for a thriller with this movie, but around half way through you'll see the ending coming if you've watched at least half a dozen thrillers. And I have seen MORE than half a dozen so it was pretty predictable.
Can't say this was too much of a thriller, Michelle Maxwell MacLaren doesn't come anywhere near M.Night Syamalan and his thrillers and suspenses. The other thing that backed me off was the background score. Its always the same weird music which you'd get sick of 15 minutes into the movie. The theme is well... nice.
The story is unique, that I guarantee you, but kinda seemed lame to me. I mean a town with Population at 436 through a 100 years? You can always guess how the climax is going to be! Oh yes, there are a large number of plot holes too.
Decent performances though. Jeremy Sisto, through whose eyes we see the movie give a good enough performance. The camera angles throughout the film were average and impressed me only in the 'chase'. ;) OK, now this movie might be rated R, but the "brief sexuality and violence" lasts only a couple of sec. It should be PG-13.
Predicability and average plot with huge plot holes cause its downfalls. Decent performances uplifts it a bit. Overall though it doesn't fall into MUST-WATCH-OR-ALL-HELL-WILL-BREAK-LOSE, its worth a rental... maybe.... if you're too much of a movie buff.
I give it 5/10. Bite me.
Can't say this was too much of a thriller, Michelle Maxwell MacLaren doesn't come anywhere near M.Night Syamalan and his thrillers and suspenses. The other thing that backed me off was the background score. Its always the same weird music which you'd get sick of 15 minutes into the movie. The theme is well... nice.
The story is unique, that I guarantee you, but kinda seemed lame to me. I mean a town with Population at 436 through a 100 years? You can always guess how the climax is going to be! Oh yes, there are a large number of plot holes too.
Decent performances though. Jeremy Sisto, through whose eyes we see the movie give a good enough performance. The camera angles throughout the film were average and impressed me only in the 'chase'. ;) OK, now this movie might be rated R, but the "brief sexuality and violence" lasts only a couple of sec. It should be PG-13.
Predicability and average plot with huge plot holes cause its downfalls. Decent performances uplifts it a bit. Overall though it doesn't fall into MUST-WATCH-OR-ALL-HELL-WILL-BREAK-LOSE, its worth a rental... maybe.... if you're too much of a movie buff.
I give it 5/10. Bite me.
The Most Perfect Place on Earth
claudio_carvalho15 February 2007
While traveling to Rockwell Falls in an assignment of the US Census Bureau, the surveyor from Chicago Steve Kady (Jeremy Sisto) has two flat tires nearby the small town. The local Deputy Bobby Caine (Fred Durst) brings him to the town and the Mayor Grateman (Frank Adamson) lodges him in a farm, where the gorgeous Courtney Lovett (Charlotte Sullivan) lives with her mother. Steve finds that Rockwell Falls, considered by the locals as the most perfect place on Earth, has the same population since 1860 and sooner he discloses the meaning and the dark secret of their creed of solidarity and steadfastness.
"Population 436" is a good horror B-movie, with an intriguing dark story that in some moments recall the original "The Stepford Wives" and a great mystery. I personally liked the surprising and unpredictable conclusion, and hated the alternative commercial ending in the Extras of the DVD. If the viewer sees this low-budget movie with a lower expectation, he or she may have a worthwhile surprise. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "População 436" ("Population 436")
"Population 436" is a good horror B-movie, with an intriguing dark story that in some moments recall the original "The Stepford Wives" and a great mystery. I personally liked the surprising and unpredictable conclusion, and hated the alternative commercial ending in the Extras of the DVD. If the viewer sees this low-budget movie with a lower expectation, he or she may have a worthwhile surprise. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "População 436" ("Population 436")
Perfect Number
jeroduptown24 November 2021
...but we're feeling much better now.
ten-thousand-marbles5 July 2020
Everyone is a little off in this tiny town where the population never changes. It's a fresh premise and the movie is mostly entertaining. It has a decent cast and they turn out good performances. It's nothing special though. It suffers from low budget production and carries a cheesy dramatic aura with it (something I'll call Lifetimey.) Overall, it's worth a watch, but don't expect a cinematic masterpiece.
Population 436
Scarecrow-8811 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
An employee for the census bureau discovers something quite sinister underneath the homey, folksy atmosphere of Rockwell Falls which has a community of people all speaking as one collective unit with smiles wide. We see that anyone who might oppose the town's ways, however, are considered "feverish" and must be cured by Dr. Greaver(David Ames). The bureau man is Steve(Jeremy Sisto)and along the way he befriends Deputy Bobby(Fred Durst, not bad)who is quite sure that the lovely Courtney(Charlotte Sullivan)will marry him. But, Courtney secretly wishes to leave Rockwell Falls and begins a romance with Steve that can prove critical to their survival as the very religious town keeps all eyes on the "visitor". Many of the townsfolk already include Steve as one of their citizens and soon he'll discover one of Doc Greaver's "patients" is a normal girl named Amanda(Reva Timbers)whose father dies tragically at the opening of the film because he wished to leave Rockwell Falls. The township believe that anyone who remains in Rockwell Falls overnight will never leave because God wouldn't allow it. Somehow, Steve will have to find a way out of this madhouse also trying to play hero by saving Amanda & Courtney as well.
Plays best as an extended Twilight Zone episode..certainly has that vibe. I think it has a problem of what it wants to be, though. It seems to play for a while as a paranoia thriller where people who go within a town have a hard time escaping. Then if anyone who attempts to go against the town's principles, will face being lobotomized by Greaver as being sick. Yet, there's a twist that offers a supernatural aspect regarding Steve being able to escape that just didn't wash with me. But, that twist merely backs up a claim by the crazed citizens of Doc Greaver's "paradise." Disturbing and at times effectively creepy with a good performance from Sisto as the unfortunate Steve.
Plays best as an extended Twilight Zone episode..certainly has that vibe. I think it has a problem of what it wants to be, though. It seems to play for a while as a paranoia thriller where people who go within a town have a hard time escaping. Then if anyone who attempts to go against the town's principles, will face being lobotomized by Greaver as being sick. Yet, there's a twist that offers a supernatural aspect regarding Steve being able to escape that just didn't wash with me. But, that twist merely backs up a claim by the crazed citizens of Doc Greaver's "paradise." Disturbing and at times effectively creepy with a good performance from Sisto as the unfortunate Steve.
A pleasant surprise.....decent thriller with a good performance from Sisto
srivastavag25 May 2006
Do you ever watch a movie and are pleasantly surprised?? Doesn't happen often for me....but Pop/436 did the trick! A decent thriller with an unique plot, Pop/436 tells a story of a small town that through over 100 years has kept a constant population. The story is adequate, but a good background score and another excellent performance by Jeremy Sisto (who was excellent in Paranoia 1.0) is able to keep the audience interested for the 90 min runtime.
Don't expect anything extraordinary from this movie, but in a day and age where over budget movie miss the mark time and time again, Pop/436 is a rare treat which is worth a view.
Don't expect anything extraordinary from this movie, but in a day and age where over budget movie miss the mark time and time again, Pop/436 is a rare treat which is worth a view.
Interesting Concept, but Flawed Film
Reviews_of_the_Dead7 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This film I remember seeing trailers for on some other movies that I was watching. I think I ended up randomly getting this on Netflix four years ago, checking it out and writing up this review. Really haven't thought about this movie since this, but I did update this a bit before posting. The synopsis here is a census-taker is sent to investigate why a certain small town has had the same population - 436 residents - for the last 100 years.
We begin with a woman giving birth while the scene is also spliced with showing a man fleeing in a truck from a deputy. The man in the truck is Ray Jacobs (Rick Skene) and the deputy is Bobby Caine (Fred Durst). The baby is born and is fine, but Ray crashes and dies. He hits a giant pothole at the end of the road out of town of Rockwell Falls. The film then shows us the rest of the important townspeople at the funeral. Ray daughter is Amanda (Reva Timbers) and she's quite distraught at what happened.
We then follow Steve Kady (Jeremy Sisto). He is driving in the country and we learn that he is from the census bureau. He is looking for Rockwell Falls to investigate their census records, because they've had the same amount of citizens for 100 years and it is suspicious. He comes to a gas station and tries to ask for directions, but neither the attendant nor a man getting filled up answer him. He continues to try to find his way.
Steve does find the road into Rockwell Falls, but he is watching a young woman who is trying to break a horse. She is Courtney Lovett (Charlotte Sullivan) and she while trying. He runs through the giant pothole and it flattens both tires on the driver's side. Steve goes out to check on Courtney, who is rude to him and she leaves. Deputy Caine then shows up and asks the sheriff, Jim Calcutt (R.H.Thomson) what to do. Steve tells him he needs to go to Rockwell Falls for work and the Sheriff allows it.
He is taken to meet the mayor Gus Grateman (Frank Adamson) who tells him he is welcome to interview whomever he would like and he is allowed to stay in town. They take him to stay somewhere temporarily, since the town does not have a hotel. On the way over though, they're told that a woman is sick and they go to check on her. Steve is not allowed in, but we see that she is covered in boils and has what the town calls the 'fever'.
Sisto is going to be staying with Belma Lovett (Monica Parker) as well as her daughter, Courtney. It is at this time that we learn Deputy Caine is in love with Courtney and he wants to marry her. The problem starts to grow that at dinner, she seems interested in Steve. As he goes to sleep that night, we see that he at one point had a wife and child. He can't sleep and he runs into Courtney. They flirt and she warms milk up for him to help with his insomnia.
He then goes about interviewing citizens and looking at the old records. He has trouble understanding how there is always exactly 436 citizens seemingly at all times. A festival is being put together by the mayor and the townspeople. There was a voting the night before and the wife of one of the men at the meeting was chosen to be the festival lead. The more that Steve learns, the darker things become as he realizes the number 436 is the fabric of this town and why.
I want to start off saying that the concept of this film had me interested and that is why I checked this out. I like the idea that this town for one hundred years has had the same population and that it has finally caught the attention of the census bureau as an anomaly. As someone who works in numbers and enjoys what they tell us, this intrigues me. I could also see a small town like this run much slower to what we are all used to due to isolation, which I could see making the townspeople act the way they do in this film.
There's the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy being opposed to divine intervention which I really did enjoy playing out. Technically the ending could be read either way, depending on your own thoughts and belief system.
This film though is not practical. It is believed that almost all of the townspeople have never left the town. There is a delivery driver who brings things, but he can't bring everything. It wouldn't be possible that any time a government worker comes to town that they would stay. The reason I bring this up, eventually someone has to notice this town. I guess it could happen, especially if they don't realize nefarious things are going on, but it just seems that some of things that happen could not go on without someone finally catching on.
The acting is decent, but no one blew me away. Sisto is a guy that I've seen here and there throughout the years. He's never blown me away with performances, but he's serviceable. It is fun to see Durst here, as you know I was a Limp Bizkit fan back in the day. Sullivan is good looking and it is nice to see her with the screen time she is given. The rest do round this out as no one really stood as I said, but they weren't really that bad either.
Now with that said, I would only recommend this film to those that want to see a decent horror/drama. The film itself is not that good, but it is interesting. The acting is decent and the writing is okay. The best part is the concept of a town that is almost completely unchanged for a hundred years and has had the same population, because of a numerological reason. This film is entertaining and the ending is pretty good. If this review sounds interesting, give this film a chance.
We begin with a woman giving birth while the scene is also spliced with showing a man fleeing in a truck from a deputy. The man in the truck is Ray Jacobs (Rick Skene) and the deputy is Bobby Caine (Fred Durst). The baby is born and is fine, but Ray crashes and dies. He hits a giant pothole at the end of the road out of town of Rockwell Falls. The film then shows us the rest of the important townspeople at the funeral. Ray daughter is Amanda (Reva Timbers) and she's quite distraught at what happened.
We then follow Steve Kady (Jeremy Sisto). He is driving in the country and we learn that he is from the census bureau. He is looking for Rockwell Falls to investigate their census records, because they've had the same amount of citizens for 100 years and it is suspicious. He comes to a gas station and tries to ask for directions, but neither the attendant nor a man getting filled up answer him. He continues to try to find his way.
Steve does find the road into Rockwell Falls, but he is watching a young woman who is trying to break a horse. She is Courtney Lovett (Charlotte Sullivan) and she while trying. He runs through the giant pothole and it flattens both tires on the driver's side. Steve goes out to check on Courtney, who is rude to him and she leaves. Deputy Caine then shows up and asks the sheriff, Jim Calcutt (R.H.Thomson) what to do. Steve tells him he needs to go to Rockwell Falls for work and the Sheriff allows it.
He is taken to meet the mayor Gus Grateman (Frank Adamson) who tells him he is welcome to interview whomever he would like and he is allowed to stay in town. They take him to stay somewhere temporarily, since the town does not have a hotel. On the way over though, they're told that a woman is sick and they go to check on her. Steve is not allowed in, but we see that she is covered in boils and has what the town calls the 'fever'.
Sisto is going to be staying with Belma Lovett (Monica Parker) as well as her daughter, Courtney. It is at this time that we learn Deputy Caine is in love with Courtney and he wants to marry her. The problem starts to grow that at dinner, she seems interested in Steve. As he goes to sleep that night, we see that he at one point had a wife and child. He can't sleep and he runs into Courtney. They flirt and she warms milk up for him to help with his insomnia.
He then goes about interviewing citizens and looking at the old records. He has trouble understanding how there is always exactly 436 citizens seemingly at all times. A festival is being put together by the mayor and the townspeople. There was a voting the night before and the wife of one of the men at the meeting was chosen to be the festival lead. The more that Steve learns, the darker things become as he realizes the number 436 is the fabric of this town and why.
I want to start off saying that the concept of this film had me interested and that is why I checked this out. I like the idea that this town for one hundred years has had the same population and that it has finally caught the attention of the census bureau as an anomaly. As someone who works in numbers and enjoys what they tell us, this intrigues me. I could also see a small town like this run much slower to what we are all used to due to isolation, which I could see making the townspeople act the way they do in this film.
There's the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy being opposed to divine intervention which I really did enjoy playing out. Technically the ending could be read either way, depending on your own thoughts and belief system.
This film though is not practical. It is believed that almost all of the townspeople have never left the town. There is a delivery driver who brings things, but he can't bring everything. It wouldn't be possible that any time a government worker comes to town that they would stay. The reason I bring this up, eventually someone has to notice this town. I guess it could happen, especially if they don't realize nefarious things are going on, but it just seems that some of things that happen could not go on without someone finally catching on.
The acting is decent, but no one blew me away. Sisto is a guy that I've seen here and there throughout the years. He's never blown me away with performances, but he's serviceable. It is fun to see Durst here, as you know I was a Limp Bizkit fan back in the day. Sullivan is good looking and it is nice to see her with the screen time she is given. The rest do round this out as no one really stood as I said, but they weren't really that bad either.
Now with that said, I would only recommend this film to those that want to see a decent horror/drama. The film itself is not that good, but it is interesting. The acting is decent and the writing is okay. The best part is the concept of a town that is almost completely unchanged for a hundred years and has had the same population, because of a numerological reason. This film is entertaining and the ending is pretty good. If this review sounds interesting, give this film a chance.
Decent thriller
midwestchaser13 December 2020
Decent thriller with enough eery suspense to keep you entertained. Went lower with the rating because I have chased storms all over North Dakota and it doesn't look anything like it's depicted in the movie. It might be geographic bias but I say figure it oot.
Solid film with "subliminal" message for some of us
AJ4F7 October 2006
I think this movie could have been better but it's hard to say exactly how. The acting was less than stupendous but I can't find too much to criticize. I was never bored and the ending (including alternate) was unpredictable. I didn't find it too scary except for one scene that caught me off guard; a pivotal point in the movie.
Two CGI flaws stood out in scenes where it was probably used to cut costs. Keep an eye on the moving Jeep and study the town in aerial views. The latter may require a high resolution TV or projector. A few plot holes were adequately explained by paranoia but it's difficult to be that isolated in the lower 48 now.
Under different circumstances Rockwell Falls could indeed be "the most perfect place on Earth," meaning a picturesque town that isn't destined to get overrun. There are safe and sane ways to stop population growth and I think the whole world should encourage that. Whether or not you agree, I can recommend this film as more than light entertainment.
Two CGI flaws stood out in scenes where it was probably used to cut costs. Keep an eye on the moving Jeep and study the town in aerial views. The latter may require a high resolution TV or projector. A few plot holes were adequately explained by paranoia but it's difficult to be that isolated in the lower 48 now.
Under different circumstances Rockwell Falls could indeed be "the most perfect place on Earth," meaning a picturesque town that isn't destined to get overrun. There are safe and sane ways to stop population growth and I think the whole world should encourage that. Whether or not you agree, I can recommend this film as more than light entertainment.
Shockingly Decent Film You've Never Heard Of
gavin694211 December 2006
Jeremy Sisto plays a census bureau guy, sent to Rockwell Falls (named after the guy who sings "Somebody's Watching Me") to see why they've had the same population for 100 years in a row. But the people of the town have other plans for Jeremy.
I started watching this movie as one of my "luck of the draw" picks, not expecting much after the never-ending influx of poor crud I get to see all the time. But this film was good, actually good, and most shockingly: it was good because of Fred Durst, the frontman for rap-rock group Limp Bizkit.
Durst plays the town police officer, and does such a fine job of being cordial and friendly in one scene and emotional in another. Who knew he had it in him to be anything besides violent or obnoxious? Not to downplay Sisto's part, but Durst really stole the show with this one.
"Population 436" offers a blend of paranoia, numerology, isolation, entrapment and a little bit of romance. You won't get any gore, and you're not going to see nude vixens running around. But you will get a unique story. Sure, you have to ignore the obvious (like why the town is so isolated in 2006) but that's not as difficult as you might think because this film makes you want to believe.
Just watch it. Watch what lengths the town will go to in order to keep its population set firmly at 436. Somewhat bizarre, but completely believable.
I started watching this movie as one of my "luck of the draw" picks, not expecting much after the never-ending influx of poor crud I get to see all the time. But this film was good, actually good, and most shockingly: it was good because of Fred Durst, the frontman for rap-rock group Limp Bizkit.
Durst plays the town police officer, and does such a fine job of being cordial and friendly in one scene and emotional in another. Who knew he had it in him to be anything besides violent or obnoxious? Not to downplay Sisto's part, but Durst really stole the show with this one.
"Population 436" offers a blend of paranoia, numerology, isolation, entrapment and a little bit of romance. You won't get any gore, and you're not going to see nude vixens running around. But you will get a unique story. Sure, you have to ignore the obvious (like why the town is so isolated in 2006) but that's not as difficult as you might think because this film makes you want to believe.
Just watch it. Watch what lengths the town will go to in order to keep its population set firmly at 436. Somewhat bizarre, but completely believable.
Another aggressively bland "suspense" movie.
lordvolde1 August 2006
Population 436 is yet another piece of evidence for the theory that suspense film writers think that everyone who goes to a movie theatre is stupid.
It starts off with a strange idea; there's a town that always has the exact same population (436, obviously), year after year and year. Most people in the audience would have figured out why this is within the first few minutes of the movie. I mean, there are only two or three possible explanations and the movie makes it painfully obvious which one is correct.
That would be fine, except that the writers apparently thought that we wouldn't realize what was happening until they told us outright. You can see how they struggled to keep everything suspenseful and mysterious, and it's almost sad to know that they went to so much trouble when the movie revealed its greatest secret in the first five minutes. Don't think that the clumsily deployed mystery is the only thing bad about Population 436. It features many of the other staples (well, clichés) of the horror/suspense genre: freaky religious cults, ominous gas stations (of DOOM!) and enough weird inconsistencies to be almost terrifying if the movie wasn't so risible.
Personally, I wouldn't spend any money going to see this movie. Encyclopedia Brown is more clever and suspenseful, and you get him at the library for free.
It starts off with a strange idea; there's a town that always has the exact same population (436, obviously), year after year and year. Most people in the audience would have figured out why this is within the first few minutes of the movie. I mean, there are only two or three possible explanations and the movie makes it painfully obvious which one is correct.
That would be fine, except that the writers apparently thought that we wouldn't realize what was happening until they told us outright. You can see how they struggled to keep everything suspenseful and mysterious, and it's almost sad to know that they went to so much trouble when the movie revealed its greatest secret in the first five minutes. Don't think that the clumsily deployed mystery is the only thing bad about Population 436. It features many of the other staples (well, clichés) of the horror/suspense genre: freaky religious cults, ominous gas stations (of DOOM!) and enough weird inconsistencies to be almost terrifying if the movie wasn't so risible.
Personally, I wouldn't spend any money going to see this movie. Encyclopedia Brown is more clever and suspenseful, and you get him at the library for free.
Decent if predictable STV
xredgarnetx9 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Jeremy Sisto is a census taker stranded in the isolated town of Rockwell Falls, population 436 (and shot in Canada, of course). His car breaks down just outside of Rockwell Falls, and the good folks of Rainbow Falls make it plain he won't be leaving anytime soon. Sisto immediately takes a shine to a comely local gal and becomes concerned with the plight of a young female orphan who is being helped captive by the town's nutty doctor. He becomes a witness to the town's madness, which not too surprisingly involves human sacrifice, and decides it's time to skeedaddle. You can guess where the plot goes from there. Sisto is very good, as always. The movie is clearly a made-for-video job, and done as well as any made-for-TV movie. It reminded me very briefly of the Bette Davis 1978 TV miniseries, THE DARK SECRET OF HARVEST HOME, wherein a family moves into an idyllic new England town only to discover it's run by a coven of witches. The sets and locations of POPULATION 436 look to be right out of Sisto's previous WRONG TURN, which was also shot in Canada. There are some thrills, although the flick is highly predictable. The gore is minimal but effective, especially scenes involving electric shock therapy and the aftermath of a lobotomy. A spooky basement scene may remind some of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, among others. Worth a look. The squeamish are unlikely to mind.
Highly derivative but not bad enough to hold in contempt
movieman_kev4 March 2009
Steve, a census-taker (Jeremy Sisto, Six Feet Under and Law & Order) is sent to Rockwell Falls on an assignment, a small isolated town of 436 who harbor a dark secret which they'd rather not let the outside world know about. Unfortunately, Steve has to spend some time there as his tires have a flat. Instantly he's taken by the charms of the lovely Courtney Lovett, he enjoys his stay until he stumbles on the aforementioned 'dark secret'
It's hard to critique this film as it's moderately well acted and the story is moderately involving enough that I didn't instantly regret watching it. It's just that the 'isolated town with a dark secret' type film has been done many many times before and there's absolutely nothing new that this film adds to the sub-genre (aside from a horrendous ending that doesn't jar well with anything else in the film in the least, the movie will bring a strong sense of deja-vu for anyone who's seen any of this type of film) Kudos to Fred Durst for not completely and utterly stinking the film up, but that's all the accolades that I can give the film.
My Grade: C-
It's hard to critique this film as it's moderately well acted and the story is moderately involving enough that I didn't instantly regret watching it. It's just that the 'isolated town with a dark secret' type film has been done many many times before and there's absolutely nothing new that this film adds to the sub-genre (aside from a horrendous ending that doesn't jar well with anything else in the film in the least, the movie will bring a strong sense of deja-vu for anyone who's seen any of this type of film) Kudos to Fred Durst for not completely and utterly stinking the film up, but that's all the accolades that I can give the film.
My Grade: C-
Entertaining
Lucabrasisleeps24 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I was entertained. I do not know much about the actors. I was looking forward to it since it gave a mystery movie vibe and yeah I love old fashioned mysteries.
There are not many horror elements. And whatever horror elements are there, the impact is less but it works as a old fashioned mystery novel type movie. The setting is impressive.
The main girl looks like Megan fox, sort of a turnoff because she looked like somebody who didn't really fit in with the movie. Probably someone less model-like would have fit the role. A girl who has the next door look, for example. And I don't think her acting is anything to rave about anyway. The main guy is OK. But my favourite actor was actually Fred Durst! Who knew LOL! He does the job pretty well. I actually didn't recognize him but I thought "I have seen this guy somewhere", I couldn't place him.
One thing I did like about this film is how it ignored one cliché, that of the friend character.Like in certain films, the Fred durst character turns out to be a two face sort of a character where he turns out to be negative because of his experiences. But in this movie he still appears a guy who has not lost his innocence and who still cares about his friend despite everything the main guy did. The main guy was a jerk IMO.
But yeah overall the movie has borrowed from many sources and sticks to the predictable script. But I still thought it was a good effort and it delivers when it comes to the suspense part.
7/10
There are not many horror elements. And whatever horror elements are there, the impact is less but it works as a old fashioned mystery novel type movie. The setting is impressive.
The main girl looks like Megan fox, sort of a turnoff because she looked like somebody who didn't really fit in with the movie. Probably someone less model-like would have fit the role. A girl who has the next door look, for example. And I don't think her acting is anything to rave about anyway. The main guy is OK. But my favourite actor was actually Fred Durst! Who knew LOL! He does the job pretty well. I actually didn't recognize him but I thought "I have seen this guy somewhere", I couldn't place him.
One thing I did like about this film is how it ignored one cliché, that of the friend character.Like in certain films, the Fred durst character turns out to be a two face sort of a character where he turns out to be negative because of his experiences. But in this movie he still appears a guy who has not lost his innocence and who still cares about his friend despite everything the main guy did. The main guy was a jerk IMO.
But yeah overall the movie has borrowed from many sources and sticks to the predictable script. But I still thought it was a good effort and it delivers when it comes to the suspense part.
7/10
Great movie falls apart in the end
jpkwolf29 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Has the remote redneck village where everything seems sweet and pleasant on top but underneath bad things are happening. The acting and direction is very good mostly although the movie has Fred Durst in it and when he has to play a character turmoiled by his emotions he cant really pull it off 100% convincingly. The story builds up really nicely and is very nicely character driven. The plot is also very good until the end when the main character escapes the crazy village and is suddenly killed by GOD.. GOD! WTF!!! Can you possibly have a worse ending to a great movie. Was the message of the movie that God is on the side of crazy red necks. It doesn't make sense.. The whole movie is like a great house of cards that just collapses in the end. My advice is that when the final scene comes just skip to the alternative ending. With that the movie is one billion times better. I'd like to know what the director was thinking..
very good twilight zone style stuff
windypoplar21 September 2006
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.
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.
Definitely a quality addition to the genre.
kevin_robbins1 June 2021
Recently caught this on Amazon Prime and forgot how much I loved this movie. This was very well done and put together. A unique storyline, well, a few Village of the Damned type scenes, but overall a unique plot. Not gruesome at all, instead very eerie in a Midsomar kind of way where you are trying to figure out why the townspeople are acting strange and where is this going? The acting is actually very solid and I loved seeing Durst get punked throughout the film. Overall I strongly recommend seeing this. I'd give it a 7.25/10. Definitely a quality addition to the genre.
Utterly spoiled by the last few minutes
neil-upto1113 March 2011
Until the last few minutes, this was a decent TV movie with a bit of depth. It borrowed from some worthy stories (Wicker Man, Stepford Wives, Body Snatchers and others) and developed a good narrative.
The tale explored the horrors of cults and religions. It exposed the demented actions of such groups and the ignorant hysteria that they both create and thrive on. This whole metaphor worked effectively and impressively ... until the end. I'm afraid that the ending saw all that good work flushed away for the sake of a very predictable twilight-zone conclusion. I could've even enjoyed the silly ending if it hadn't completely undermined the entire thrust of the film.
The tale explored the horrors of cults and religions. It exposed the demented actions of such groups and the ignorant hysteria that they both create and thrive on. This whole metaphor worked effectively and impressively ... until the end. I'm afraid that the ending saw all that good work flushed away for the sake of a very predictable twilight-zone conclusion. I could've even enjoyed the silly ending if it hadn't completely undermined the entire thrust of the film.
Great for a one time watch
ciannamcever27 September 2020
I clicked on this movie because if we are being honest I'm currently extremely depressed and just wanted to watch a horror movie. This is a fun thriller, with a good story. Some of the actors, specifically a little girl, are horrible actors and not good.
It's a good movie to pass the time and at least enjoyable to watch one time.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
