What an unexpected little gem this one is and I can't urge you strongly enough to head out to you local video haunt and pick this one up right now.

Like probably the rest of my generation of horror fans when I hear the words THE TALL MAN one thing and one thing only come to mind, Angus Scrimm.

The PHANTASM films have cemented that character in my mind for all eternity but this TALL MAN has nothing to do with that TALL MAN.

There will be spoilers a head so please, proceed with caution if you don’t want to know important story segments.  Just stop here and go check it out, it’s good.

The town of Cold Rock is dying.  No jobs, no money and the town is just barely holding on.  Poverty is rampant and folks and their families are living in broken down trailers and shacks, it's not a pretty scene and in this drab, unforgiving environment we are introduced to Julia Denning.  A local nurse whose husband, the respected town doctor, has passed away and Julia is trying to hold it all together with her daughter and young son and through her eyes we meet many of the down trodden town folk and also learn of the local legend of THE TALL MAN who is deemed responsible for a rash of child disappearances that have plagued the area.

Things take a violent, personal turn when one night THE TALL MAN breaks into Julia's home and takes her young son.  An impressive chase sequence ensues and Julia moves heaven and earth to get to her son.  It's also at this point that the film starts to morph and a series of twists to the story arc really keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

Jessica Biel really gives a tour de force performance playing down her knock out good looks and really getting down and dirty as this hard working mother who will stop at nothing to find her son. 

What really impressed me was the ability of director Pascal Laugier whose previous film MARTYRS was a bloody, vicious but beautiful work to take this slower, more character driven story and really make it riveting.  The story is beautifully written and it unfolds at the perfect pace to keep the evolving tale and the surprises it holds hitting the viewer at just the right time.

You've got to give this one time, got to invest a little of yourself into it.  Not a lot of bloodshed, not a lot of high action but this one that sticks with you and you find yourself thinking about long after the end credits roll.

In a genre where the fans like to bitch about "original" ideas and "remakes" killing the genre it's nice to see someone take a chance and push the boundaries of the genre with a well written, character driven piece that puts intelligence ahead of blood shed and feelings ahead of boobs and sex jokes.  I liked THE TALL MAN, I like it a lot and if you give it a chance I think you'll like it as well.

THE TALL MAN is available now from IMAGE Entertainment.  Go get it!!