Click to read the article
The Return (2006)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:14
Fresh:1
Rotten:13
Average Rating:3.7/10
Consensus: Unoriginality may be an acceptable risk in the Horror genre, but boredom is never okay.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for violence, terror and disturbing images.
Runtime: 86 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Nov 10, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $7,712,009
Synopsis: In 2001 British director Asif Kapadia's debut feature, THE WARRIOR, a lyrical, beautiful movie set in the Himalayas, was named Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards. For his second film, Kapadia... In 2001 British director Asif Kapadia's debut feature, THE WARRIOR, a lyrical, beautiful movie set in the Himalayas, was named Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards. For his second film, Kapadia headed to Hollywood for the suspenseful horror flick THE RETURN, written by first-time screenwriter Adam Sussman. Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Joanna Mills, an aggressive young woman who works as a successful saleswoman in the trucking industry. She pushes hard to go after a big deal in Texas, even though she had previously deemed the state off limits--something that happened to her when she was a little girl has kept her away from her hometown for many years. Filled with fear, trepidation, and determination, she goes back to Texas, even visiting her estranged father (Sam Shepard). As she sees familiar places, she has frightening flashes of deja vu, remembering bits and pieces of a tragic incident involving an ex-con (Peter O'Brien), an unseen man, and a bad traffic accident. The visions haunt her dreams, sending her back to her childhood (where she's played by Darrian McClanahan). Reunited with an old friend (Kate Beahan), Joanna tries to move forward, but her unfinished past keeps dragging her back. Kapadia keeps things at a slow, suspenseful pace, every scene adding another piece of the plot--as well as a touch more mystery. Gellar, who has also starred in such horror films as THE GRUDGE, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, and SCREAM 2, plays Joanna with an involving sense of dread that is echoed by Dario Marianelli's score. [More]
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Peter O'Brien, Sam Shepard, Kate Beahan
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Peter O'Brien, Sam Shepard, Kate Beahan, Adam Scott, Darrian McClanahan, Erinn Allison, J.C. MacKenzie
Director: Asif Kapadia
Director: Asif Kapadia
Screenwriter: Adam Sussman
Producer: Aaron Ryder, Jeffrey Silver
Composer: Dario Marinelli
Studio: Rogue Pictures
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Return
Mellow -- nay, snoozy -- atmospherics trump actual scares, and it makes almost zero sense.
This murky psychological horror effort is not likely to inspire a return.
Time-killer chiller reps an undistinguished U.S. debut for U.K. helmer Asif Kapadia, though the undernourished script may be most at fault.
As B-level suspensers go, though, The Return isn't actively awful -- just slow and cursed with a lead who acts with her T-shirt.
The Return universally fails to establish any sense of reality, which makes it hard to register when Joanna's world starts falling apart.
The horror movie workhorse Sarah Michelle Gellar is back to chill us with The Return, a rote thriller with an intriguingly frenetic shooting style.
The Return is routine in its depiction of a waifish young woman surrounded by men with predatory qualities. It's sad to see Buffy so disempowered.
Gellar, who isn't bad with comedy, can't do drama, even in the chocolate-colored hair she wears this time.
Since Adam Sussman's script is as lazy as Asif Kapadia's direction is disjointed, nothing ever makes sense, even after the anticlimatic explanation is revealed. Not even Gellar can work up any interest in Joanna's fate.
The Return isn't the worst movie of the year -- or even in the top 10. But it's hard to imagine anyone seeing this movie and thinking they got their money's worth.
Many elements of The Return are quite sophisticated as past and present converge and Joanna's pursuer catches her scent. It's too bad that the plot takes us into irrationality, past the point of no return.
Gellar's thousand-yard stare and somnambulant screen presence have become a serious drag.
Sarah Michelle Gellar battled countless monsters as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her biggest challenge in The Return is to keep from yawning.
Latest News for The Return
November 16, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Casino Royale" Fresh, Certified Fresh; "Happy Feet" Shows Fancy Footwork; Guess The Tomatometer for "Prison"
This week at the movies prompts several questions. Will the latest Bond movie ("Casino Royale," starring Daniel Craig) leave pundits shaken and stirred? Can penguins... More...
November 12, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: Sexytime for "Borat" Once Again!
There was no stopping the Kazakh sensation Borat which expanded nationally this weekend after a stunning debut and remained at the top of the North American box office once again. More...
November 09, 2006:
Box Office Guru Preview: New Pics Challenge "Borat's" Mandate
This weekend, multiplexes hope to cram in lots of moviegoers thanks to a wide selection of new films. Six movies open or expand nationally on Friday making for what will be one... More...
November 09, 2006:
Critical Consensus: A So-So "Year", "Fiction" Works; "Babel" Shoots and Scores; "Harsh Times" Lives Up To Its Title; Guess "Return"'s Tomatometer!
This week at the movies, we ve got a rom-com in Provence ("A Good Year," starring Russell Crowe), a guy whose life is a novel ("Stranger than Fiction,"... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Return at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Return at IGN
- The Return at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

TECHLAND gives us a first look at the extras, including Leonard Nimoy's last day on set!

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


