PEEP-HOLE REVIEW: Burning Bright (2010)

"He Only Likes the Pretty Ones"This little flick was simply fun to watch. I'm a great big fan of the old 70s TV Movie of the Week, and Burning Bright reminded me a whole lot of those classic small screen gems. Girl in peril forced to make life altering decisions amidst horrific scenarios!

Briana Evigan (last seen slicing through Sorority Row) plays a young woman torn between moving on with her own life after her mom's death, or staying home to take care of her younger brother. Her decision is a huge one, because her little brother is severely debilitated by his autism, and, although he doesn't comprehend it himself, he needs her. If she takes on this responsibility, she will lose out on a full-ride scholarship, and her life will be caring for her kid brother, since her step-daddy has shown no interest. He's more enamored of the idea of starting up a wildlife attraction on their huge estate. In the midst of this personal turmoil, a hurricane is threatening to hit.
As the skies open up, and the winds thrash the house, the girl wakes up to find that she and her kid brother have been shuttered it by the groundskeepers. That's not so bad, though. At least she know's she's safe... until she hears a strange sound, and then finds that a tiger is roaming free in the hallways. The next hour of the film is pure perspiration. Director Carlos Brooks and Screenwriters Christine Coyle Johnson and Julie Prendiville Roux cast aside the popular need for clever piled on plot twists and keep the story moving with urgent success. From first encounter with the ferocious animal, the heroine and the audience are constantly covered in sweat. There's no hidden surprises or mystery to resolve -- the story is direct and nerve battering. This one would be impossible not to enjoy.