As both his parents (Kevin Barbare, Kristi Barron) have died in a
tragic car accident and he hasn't got any close relatives, Nathan
(Christian Goodwin) is sent to the Milwood facility for young adults. It's
still difficult for Nathan to deal with what has happened, and he finds it
hard to adjust to the new surroundings ... so it's hardly surprising he
gets into a fight the very first day - much to the dismay of the school's
dean Mr Clemens (Jimmy Scanlon), who immediately puts him in detention and
considers sending him to ward B from day one - and ward B is feared by all
the students, as it houses those who are seen as problem childs, it's
where the students are treated almost like prison inmates, and it's said
to be haunted. The only person between Nathan and ward B is actually
guidance cousellor Judy (Michelle Romano), who takes an immediate liking
in Nathan, becomes his friend within hours, and gets into his head enough
to know he's not a problem child at all, just a disturbed little boy going
through a tragic episode of his life. Judy does her best to keep Nathan
out of harm's way, but she can't be everywhere all at once, and it's only
a matter of time until he gets into trouble again, through no fault of his
own. and as Mr Clemens has authority over Judy, he just moves the boy to
ward B without her knowing, and when she complains too much she gets
fired. In ward B, Nathan is under constant observation, and it soon
becomes clear to him that he's not just some prisoner here, there is
something even more sinister going on. He tries to contact Judy about it,
but she tells him she needs proof before she can help him ... and proof is
what Nathan is trying to get - but he soon has to learn there's something
much more sinister than he has even expected going on, and now Mr Clemens
and his goons are after him. Genre fave Tiffany Shepis is at her evilest
as Nathan's private tutor. Milwood is a film that takes
its time to develop its story, starting out as a conventional story about
a boy trying to cope with loss in an unfamiliar enviroment, and then
slowly taking it's story towards the horror/thriller side of things - and
that works extremely well this time around, as along its story build-up,
the film also develops several interesting characters, and its refusal to
give too much away too soon only adds to the tension and mystery of the
whole thing. Add to this a subtle direction that fittingly choses
atmosphere over spectacle and a very fine ensemble cast, and you are left
with a really good movie!!!
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