Quite overlooked, and it's a shame, this The Collector is a valid product, and, despite conflicting opinions, it seemed more than pleasant to me. The cast includes various TV series actors, a very grown-up Madeline Zima (The Nanny, and later, Californication), Andrea Roth (Rescue Me), and above all the protagonist Josh Stewart of Criminal Minds. What could possibly happen when a penniless handyman, to pay off his ex-wife's debts, decides to rob the house where he worked? In theory nothing, the house had to be empty, but if another criminal put the thought into a ruthless and very elaborate game, what could have been a simple and hasty job will turn out to be a breathtaking race against death.

The story tells the story of Arkin (Josh Stewart), driven to rob the rich family he served for, in order to save his ex from loan sharks. When he arrives on site convinced that he will complete that task easily, he comes across a masked, and rather disturbing, villain. He will try to free those people who are victims of a particular collector, but the undertaking will be arduous, risky, since the man has placed plenty of dangerous pitfalls in that villa. His attempts will focus on the search for his youngest daughter, Hannah, and among various vicissitudes, just when he is about to escape, he will turn around, and seeing her appear at the window will prevent him from abandoning her to a sad fate.

There was a specific point where I asked myself: is this man Superman? Because honestly, after all the torture suffered, and also the investment caused by those police chickens, the question is legitimate. Perhaps there is a very slight forcing in the script here. Then for goodness sake, trying to survive can bring out the unexpected, however, although it can be overlooked, it seemed a tad exaggerated to me. Undoubtedly, the numerous obstacles this master thief must overcome make it easy to sympathize with his desperate situation, and you find yourself rooting for him with every torture performed. Another unresolved question is how the exterminator managed to set up all those traps. In terms of plot there are some slight unexplained gaps, but the film is still cool.

Against all odds terrible review, (in addition to my colleague Rael who apparently appreciated it like me), I feel like giving it a seven, for the high tension, the good work done by the direction, capable of creating a tense and adrenaline-filled atmosphere, thanks to the editing virtuous. The last minutes offer a fair amount of suspense, and it is precisely that frenetic crescendo that manages to excuse a slightly over the top and risky ending. Savagery abounds for a good part of the film, the splatter scenes are brutal, well constructed: the trap scene is worthy of mention, it shocks and surprises. Stewart plays his role admirably, and his antagonist (Juan Fernández, Necronomicon) exudes disarming violence. Sometimes, in the face of some errors, the final result must also be evaluated: and in this case, it is anything but bad.