The Shortcut (2009)

[5]

After his little brother discovers a dead dog and a scary old man on a wooded shortcut, a new-teen-in-town (Drew Seeley) invites his friends to investigate the trail and the legend behind the mysterious old man who patrols it. The opening act of The Shortcut fails to generate any excitement for the story that lies ahead, one that’s a little less obvious than big studio teen horror flicks, but it’s also less exciting than those more calculated efforts. The young cast members, including Shannon Woodward and Dave Franco, are serviceable and the film generates a couple of nice, scary surprises. The old man’s backstory doesn’t disappoint, but a litter of hackneyed moments mire the film in mediocrity. The forced, unnecessary ending doesn’t help matters. With William B. Davis (The X-Files).