'ATM'
(Brian Geraghty, Alice Eve, Josh Peck, Ernesto Griffith, Bryan Clark, et al / R / 90 mins / IFC Midnight)
Overview: A murderous psychopath traps three co-workers in an ATM vestibule, and torments them over the course of one terrifying night in this thriller from Buried screenwriter Chris Sparling and emerging director David Brooks.
Review: When pulling up to a remote ATM kiosk at 1 a.m. in subfreezing wind, it's generally unwise to park 100 feet from the door. Sure, the brisk run to and from the ATM is invigorating, but the distance might prove a liability if you should witness a murder from inside the kiosk and need to escape quickly.
Bad parking may prove fatal for David (Brian Geraghty), a young investment banker, and two co-workers (Josh Peck and Alice Eve), who stop for cash after a holiday work party and find themselves at the mercy of a hooded killer who murders a passerby and then sticks around to taunt and torture his three trapped witnesses.
After memorably sealing Ryan Reynolds in a coffin in Buried, screenwriter Chris Sparling's attempts to make a two-ATM vestibule equally claustrophobic are less inspired, though first-time director David Brooks maneuvers through the small space with impressive ease. He's lucky to have three talented young actors on hand to create likable characters, even though their slow-witted response to the dilemma is maddening.
These three are just not bright—it's five below zero, but only the killer thought to leave the house with a proper winter coat!