Reviews
Wuchak

Wuchak

December 9, 2021
7.0
_**Youths stuck on an island in the Puget Sound region**_ Eight high school seniors in Seattle leave the Prom and take a seaplane to a private island in order to celebrate, but they end up at a deserted isle where they may or may not bond, not to mention face serious challenges. Will they survive? Released in 1984-1985, "Out of Control" is an obscure youth adventure that starts off like the future “The Edge” (1997), but has more in common with “April Fool’s Day” (1986) since both flicks involve a group of youths on an island in (or near) Puget Sound. While there’s no slasher angle to this one, there’s still a serious threat to the students, which I’m not gonna give away. A well-done spin-the-bottle sequence is reminiscent of the opening playing-in-the-mud sequence in “Village of the Giants” (1965), as well as the ensuing ‘dancing giants’ piece. But “Out of Control” is a serious adventure compared to that somewhat goofy flick. What happens to the teens on the island is a microcosm of what is to come for them as adults: Fun times, unforeseen challenges, sudden death, enthusiastic partying, romances, unfaithfulness, fights, making up, unexpected evils, teamwork and survival. Sure, something happens in the last act that’s thoroughly unbelievable, but “Where Eagles Dare” (1968) did the same thing and no one blinked an eye. As far as the cast goes, Martin Hewitt (Keith) and Jim Youngs (Cowboy) are entertaining as the warring male protagonists. Meanwhile the flick is exceptional on the female front with Betsy Russell (Chrissie), Claudia Udy (Tina), Sherilyn Fenn (Katie) and Cindi Dietrich (Robin), all beautiful in their unique ways, and all tastefully caught on film in the physical prime of their lives. Both Sherilyn Fenn and Betsy Russell went on to have decent second-tier acting careers. Be sure to look for Sherilyn in "Zombie High" (1987), “Two Moon Junction” (1988) and “Of Mice and Men” (1992). At the end of the day this is a low-budget coming-of-age drama/adventure/thriller that’s thoroughly comic booky, but works for what it is because it wisely checks all the staples and doesn’t overstay its welcome. The full-length version runs about 1 hour, 28 minutes, but there’s also a cut version that’s around 10 minutes shorter (which I suggest avoiding). As far as the locations go, it was shot in the USA with second unit work done in Yugoslavia. I can’t find any more detailed data, unfortunately. GRADE: B-/B

Recommendation Movies

6.8
Action
View
6.8
Mr. Majestyk
Mr. Majestyk1974
7.1
Comedy
View
7.1
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice2024
7.9
Thriller
View
7.9
Rope
Rope1948
8.1
Horror
View
8.1
Alien
Alien1979
8.6
Drama
View
8.6
The Godfather
The Godfather1972
8.1
Crime
View
8.1
Joker
Joker2019
8.3
Adventure
View
8.3
Back to the Future
Back to the Future1985
6.5
Crime
View
6.5
Woman of the Hour
Woman of the Hour2024
7.9
Drama
View
7.9
The Passion of Joan of Arc
The Passion of Joan of Arc1928
7.3
Horror
View
7.3
The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man1973
8.7
Drama
View
8.7
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption1994
8
Drama
View
8
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer2023
7.4
Horror
View
7.4
Braindead
Braindead1992
7.7
Drama
View
7.7
Past Lives
Past Lives2023
7.6
Action
View
7.6
The Terminator
The Terminator1984
7.5
Drama
View
7.5
American Gangster
American Gangster2007
7.6
Comedy
View
7.6
Brazil
Brazil1985
8.4
Horror
View
8.4
Psycho
Psycho1960
7.6
Horror
View
7.6
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead1968
7.9
Adventure
View
7.9
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade1989
© 2025 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt