User reviews

Just as the name goes Coldwater is a stone cold story about abuse and survival. But it's a different kind than we often see on the movies. The story moves out of the abusive culture which exists in the common society and explores a certain layer of systematic abuse which exists in a more controlled environment which is governed by the authorities in the name of rehabilitation.

Brad (P.J. Boudousqué) is sent to a juvenile reform facility by his parents following his history of troubles with the law. Soon after he arrives at the location he realizes that this place is much worse than the detention centers he has served time earlier. While the techniques and routine takes a toll on the detainees Brad struggles to get out of the place. After a failed attempt and severe punishment his goals change to fight against the system than freeing himself.

Coldwater is a slow moving yet applying drama. It is quite horrific and painful to get through as well. But the violence is done up to a certain point where it delivers the message and nothing else. The drama and the characters and their struggle overcome the violence element and due to this Coldwater become one of the few movies which positively get away with it. There is a good flow and mostly the story bounce between two timelines of Brad's life. While the movie creates a good interest of things to come it delivers certain element of surprises as well. However, for some reason I wish that the ending was different and we could witness a Brad who stood up for his beliefs than becoming a victim of it.

Though for some viewers Coldwater could be a painful memory, as a movie it is different and effective. There is good acting from many less known talents and decent cinematography to get by.

If this is your first "prison" movie (though they wouldn't like to be called that, since they are special in holding youth criminals and re-educating them), you might like this even better than others on this page. There is obviously things happening that shouldn't occur, neither in that facility nor in the "real" world. But with great power comes ... mostly people abusing that power.

This training camp is made to better people with methods that don't seem to add up. The actors are really good at conveying their current mood and their goal in this. Sometimes this seems like a documentary and obviously this seems close to a real event as it gets.

a great surprise. not only for the theme, not exactly for acting. but for the admirable art of detail, for the precise tension, for music and for the traces after its end.a film who has the gift to give the emotions of a passing way. a film about small , ordinaries things. nothing complicated, nothing too special. only a story about people, world, error and justice. each of that does it more than a movie about the teenagers difficult cases. short, it is an useful movie. for its artistic virtues. for carefully build of story, for the lead character who translate the life profound sense in a not common manner. a film about pillars of existence. in right manner, with delicate force.

"Welcome to paradise boys. This is Coldwater. I am Colonel Frank Reichert, United States Marine Corps, retired. You can call me Colonel. You can call me sir. It's up to you. The choice is yours. Life here, gentlemen, is very simple. Let's not bullshit each other. You're here because you f*cked up. We're here to fix that. So, you show me that you have a willingness and desire to change. Simple as that."

"Coldwater" eventually evolved into a rather impressive and hard pruning drama in which the existence of so-called re-education camps in the US are denounced. The film isn't based on an actual true story (I guess), but is an outline of how things are done in such disciplinary camps that actually exist there and where the shown practices are applied daily. These places are rather prison camps where humiliation is a standard instead of re-education. The objective is more like a psychological torture of young people who end up there, with the sole purpose to get them back on the right track before they risk an actual prison sentence. The juveniles are sent there at the insistence of the parents to guide them into a better and controlled life without crime. But I'm afraid some youngsters end up there because parents are fed up with them or are in the process of picking up their own miserable lives without a reluctant and rebellious child. This is proved by the presence of a sniveling chubby kid who was send over there because he got bad grades in school and did some ditching.

We see Brad Lunders (PJ Boudousqué) being lifted from his bed in the middle of the night, being handcuffed and dumped in a van between some other victims, while his mother looks at it with a face scarred by guilt. And before he knows it he arrives in camp "Coldwater", led by the former marine Colonel Frank Reichert (James C. Burns) who believes in certain values like discipline and disciplinary penalties for indiscipline. It's obvious that some practices aren't really kosher and are being covered with the cloak of charity. Reichert is assisted by trustees : young men who also ended up there once and voluntarily, or perhaps forcibly, choose to participate in the re-education of young offenders. This place somewhere in the middle of nowhere is like hell on earth for these internees and can be compared to a prison camp from the 2nd World War. Perhaps the applied tortures aren't as horrible as those in that period, but the impact of it on these young people is indisputable. Similarly for Brad who realizes that he can only survive by accepting this rotten system and realizes it's best to fit the straitjacket prescribed by the sadistic camp leader.

I'm sure this will be repeated indefinitely, but Boudousqué eerily resembles Ryan Gosling. Not only his physical appearance but also his style of acting is the same as that of Gosling. That stoic calmness he exudes, that serene facial expression showing how he assesses each situation and the determination with which he concentrates on the intended goal. But despite his angelic appearance he's not unconditional innocent. In terms of character he differs at first sight considerably with the character of Burns. But on second thoughts they are more alike than you'd expect : they both suffer from a traumatic experience out of the past and they both have leadership qualities. And despite that Brad hates the Colonel and wants to pull the rug out from underneath him , he could definitely become someone like him.

"Coldwater" was a terrific movie to watch, despite the sometimes uncomfortable scenes. Perfectly imaged, at the right pace. Vincent Grashaw intuitively developed this difficult story. Without realizing, a period of 2 years elapsed subtly punctuated by several flashbacks which gave us an insight into the life of Brad. Certainly not in a disturbing way and brought in a fluid manner. And the moment you conclude that it's apparently a typical moralizing film, the final denouement hits you like a sledgehammer. A discharge of pent-up anger and frustration that degenerates into a chaotic situation full of rage and revenge. Ultimately the film leaves you with mixed feelings. As soon as the situation became clear, there's a sense of compassion and you sympathize with the youngsters who try to survive in these inhumane conditions. By the end this feeling is still reverberating, but perhaps some of them really belonged there. I'm sure these situations don't occur everywhere as shown here. However, it is better to avoid such a place as "Coldwater".

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Coldwater is the story of an adolescent boy who is sent to a backwoods juvenile reform facility. As the film continues, we slowly come to understand the events that lead him there and the horrors that occur.

While I would like to say that this story is completely fictional, it is not. The script and the characters are, of course, a work of fiction. However, the abuse that often occurs in juvenile reform facilities is all too real. There are many documented cases of emotional and physical abuse, in some cases even leading to the death of young teens, at these facilities all over the country.

While this is a fictional story, I appreciate its realism. This realism makes Coldwater shocking and at times difficult to watch. This film is not entertaining in the way that many films are. However, I believe that it is important to watch because the stories behind it are very real.

"Coldwater" is one hot film. It is from 2013, and it is an independent film currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Vincent Grashaw. And it is written by Vincent Grashaw and Mark Penney. The cast includes P.J. Boudousque, James C. Burns, Chris Petrovski, Octavius J. Johnson, Nicholas Bateman, Stephanie Simbari, Mackenzie Sidwell Graff, Clayton LaDue, Tommy Nash, Scott MacArthar, Zach Selwyn, Raquel Gardner, Douglas Bernnett, Josh Kelling, Chauncey Leopardi, Jesse Saler, Michael Rousselef, Brandon Bilotta, Richard Shemer, Jammie Patton and Joe Bilotta. The story is depressing one of young men incarcerated in a juvenile detention center and the mistreatment that they have to endure. Many such centers exist in the U.S. I gave it 7 stars. Dale Haufrect

The concept was inspired by the real, but I was not expecting a camp like this practically exist. I mean, I'm familiar with juvenile detention and reform centres, not something like this. It was more like an another American thing, especially for kids with the tough attitude and of course who are a junkie. The institution is not the issue, but privatisation was the.

You might have heard it a million times that PJ Boudousque was looked alike Ryan Gosling. I thought he was related to him, but he was not. Anyway, it was a perfect launch, might have not an overwhelmed movie, but he got a chance to appear in a proficient role for the first time in front of the camera.

A fair quality product for half a million budgets. Slightly a weak narration, especially after a fine first and third act, I felt something was missing in between. I was anticipating a strong conclusion, but it was way stronger and unexpectedly a violent just like 'Bellflower'. I think worth a watch if you limit your expectation.

6½/10

I just saw this movie at its premiere at SXSW. It's an intense film about a young man who is sent to be 'transformed' at what you might call a juvenile detention camp. Things deteriorate as the Colonel, played masterfully by James C. Burns, begins to unravel himself. The film is carried by newcomer PJ Boudousque, a name we should start getting used to. In his first film, he plays Brad Lunders, a teenager haunted by the mistakes of his past but determined to change his future, and that of anyone close to his orbit. His performance is intense and meaningful, saying as much with a look as he might with 100 words. Vincent Grashaw does a marvelous job with all the young cast, each bringing something very special to the film.

The score is a triumph.

I loved this film, and think for many people involved it will be the start of something big.

One reviewer described this movie as gritty. The only thing that was gritting was my teeth at how awful it was. Unconvincing acting. Wooden cast and a lead who thinks he is Clint Eastwood.

Terrible.

This gets a lot right figuring into the equation it wouldn't have had a huge budget. The story could have been told slightly better as it is a bit disjointed but it is still told with enough force to keep the interest going to the end.

Saw it at Las Vegas Int'L Film festival where it took best picture and many more awards! and decidedly so! what impressed me most about this movie was the internal development building the tension of the character arcs. It is a very rare trait in American movies recently and it is always refreshing to see it, attempted and then achieved. The colors are spot on as well as acting. Many compliments to the DP. Also, Vincent Grashaw does a great job! Pretty great production design - minimal- but confident and effective.

I wish there were more movies like this and good movie lovers should not miss it!

Really sick and disgusting. Full of non-stop gratuitous violence with absolutely zero redemptive quality. The people that made this horrendously awful piece-o-crap 'film' need to go thru some kind of remedial movie-making boot camp. (complete with the kind of egregious physical torture they induced thru out this abortion of a miscarriage called a 'movie'.) The only thing worse than the actors involved in this film, is the audience that is forced to sit thru it. This noir is a truly revolting, resoundingly repugnant waste of anyone's oxygen to spend any time at all viewing. Take a dump on this movie and spend your time watching paint dry. It will be much more fulfilling. This is the kind of 'film-making' that makes me believe anyone can make a film.. and amazingly.. some company will actually distribute it.. truly a wonder.. This is the worst movie I've seen in... well.. ever. Really, really, really, really bad!

My wife and best friend went to Pasadena to see this movie over the weekend without any preconceived notions. We were rewarded with a rich and deeply-emotional story that backfilled the plot at just the right moments to reveal teenagers who got in trouble only to experience more serious abuse, murder, and betrayal from the very rehabilitation and juvenile reform camps designed to "correct" their behavior. Lunders' character was played brilliantly in the portrayal of a teenager knowingly doing wrong, getting caught, and then forced to blend his survival instincts with an undertow of defiance while imprisoned.

Was the movie entertaining? Not in the classical sense. But more importantly it conveyed a message that forces the larger examination of the black box of private,for-profit, pseudo-correctional institutions for juveniles in this country. This message still resonates with us several days after seeing the movie. Great film making!

In the first half, I thought why I am watching this but as the movie progresses it makes you understand why. Acting was very good by everyone which I really didn't expected. Story was not so great but the characters played their part really well specially the lead actor. You can watch this if you really like a jail or prison drama with emotions.

I had a year at a tiny boarding school when I was 16. This movie hits me hard. These places can be awful and weird and have huge character growth at the same time. My place was not nearly as bad but there were certainly illegal things.

I love that this movie goes into the character growth of men, how people can be better, but also the evil of other people in these situations. These people can crush us or they can help us be strong if we handle things right.

This movie is very dark, well acted, very good and compelling story. I just finished watching it a second time because I could not get it out of my head. This story is haunting. It sticks with me. It must have been an honor to be part of it.

I was recommended the movie Boot Camp after I watched this but it does not touch this movie. Similar concepts but this movie is 1000 times better.

PROS: An obvious pro is the acting. There are a ton of things a movie needs to have to be good. For romance movies its plot development, for comedies it's creativity, for horrors it build up of tension, but every movie needs acting for it to be good. It is the universal pro for all movies. And this movie exemplified that pro. Every character was genuine, and felt like a real person. This is so rare to find actors who can instill both terror and joy into the audience with ease. I felt that every action he did was done with purpose and was driven by more than just one emotion, which is likely in real life but difficult in acting. Those bonds that the characters allowed us to build throughout the plot granted us to fell something deeper when the film resolved. You waited and waited to get to the end, and when you did all you could do was just breathe out in relief. That quality of serenity that the movie gave was a beautiful contrast to the hysteria the rest of the film showed.

CONS: The small con would be with the build up of tension. I wouldn't necessary qualify this movie as a strict horror, more like a psychological drama thriller, but there still needed to be more action. The movie all together was terrific, but maybe just a tad bit more intensity. Not a ton! but just a wee bit more.

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Watched it 3 times and it only gets better. Brilliant acting, great story. You will be glued to the screen.

I am a GAY man with no talent. Just opinions.

This amazing movie is one I wish I found sooner. The story is great! The way the director crafted it in cutaways took nothing away from the main theme. This movie has a hard message and the reality is there too. If you doubt the existence of places like this. Private juvenile detention centers. I received first hand knowledge from a friend. His step brother was sent to one by his father before his Mom's divorce. After 3 years he was sent home for medical reasons. These places do exist even after numerous complaints.

Watch this, not for entertainment for enlightenment!

Well......this was a brutal telling of a story about a rehabilitation centre. There was intense psychological tension n great suspense throughout the movie. It was a very raw n brutal telling of one mams struggle in a disturbing juvenile centre.

The acting was superb n the characters were brilliant.

The ending was shocking n unpredictable.

I highly recommend this movie especially if you like raw brutal drama n suspense.