Recovery (2016)

Recovery takes a deliciously modern teenage nightmare—using a “Find My iPhone” ping like a breadcrumb trail into danger—and turns it into a lean, nasty little thriller that knows exactly how to squeeze tension out of everyday tech. It has that brisk, after-midnight vibe where the humor of kids being kids curdles into dread, and the film keeps its momentum by grounding the scares in surprisingly committed performances. Don’t expect a prestige reinvention of the genre, but if you’re on the fence and want an entertaining, well-made teen horror ride with a sly undercurrent about how social media and devices tether us to trouble, this one delivers. It’s the kind of movie that makes you glance at your phone afterward and wonder whether “lost” is sometimes the safer option.

Recovery is clearly aiming for a slick, modern “tech leads you into a nightmare” setup, with a simple hook and a nasty little home-invasion vibe. The problem is it struggles to turn that hook into believable tension: the story feels flimsy, the pacing drags, and the scares rarely land, which makes the whole thing come off more tedious than terrifying. Performances don’t help, and when you’re not invested in the characters, the movie’s attempts at dread feel oddly muted and sometimes confusing. If you’re the type who can enjoy low-budget horror on premise alone and don’t need strong acting or escalating suspense, you might get a bit of guilty fun here—but if you want genuine thrills, this likely isn’t worth your time.