A few nights ago, I watched a disturbing but entertaining thriller DONT TELL A SOUL (R; 96 minutes) from writer and director Alex McAulay. Like many films from 2020, its planned film festival premiere got delayed to the Fall of 2020. Saban Films snatched up the North American distribution rights and released the film to theaters and VOD in January 2021. Lionsgate Home Entertainment released it on DVD and Blu-ray last week.

DON'T TELL A SOUL begins centers on teen brothers Matt and Joey (played by Fionn Whitehead and Jack Dylan Grazer) robbing a neighbor's home, so they can use the cash to pay off their sick mother's hospital bill. They get spotted by Hamby (played by Rainn Wilson), a security officer who gives chase until he falls into a well. In fear of getting arrested for stealing, the boys don't tell anyone about the man, but Joey's conscience gets the better of him. He goes back to the well to give Hamby food and water.

Joey and Hamby forge a weird friendship, well, that is until the boy learns about the man's past. Hamby has many dark secrets, ones that could jeopardize the safety of Joey and his family.

Final Thoughts

Before watching DON'T TELL A SOUL, I had read several mixed to negative reviews from moviegoers, and after viewing the movie, I am now wondering what the hell is wrong with people nowadays. Is the plot silly? Sure, but I don't watch films for realism. I just want a little mindless entertainment. Is that asking for too much? Anyway, as you can see in my words - I have a different opinion from other reviewers.

For the most part, the acting throughout this thriller was acceptable. Jack Dylan Grazer gave a decent performance as the emotional teenager. Fionn Whitehead went a little bit over the top as the psychopath brother, but his performance didn't bother me. The scene-stealer goes to Rainn Wilson, who gives one of his best performances of his career.

Spoiler Warning! - Let's go back to the plot. Yeah, I get it - in the real world, the chances of running into a serial killer dressed in as a security guard after you robbed a house is unlikely. It's even more unlikely that the killer would fall into a random well in the middle of the woods. As silly as it sounds, I like the unexpected, even if it is unrealistic. The ending involves characters making dumb and predictable decisions, and my demented mind liked it.

For those of you who need to know, the picture and sound qualities on the DVD were excellent. There is only one featurette - Flesh & Blood: Creating Don't Tell A Soul.

Overall, DON'T TELL A SOUL is a thrilling and odd coming-to-age story involving two teenagers, their mother, a well, and a serial killer.