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Volleyball in the sand.

This low-budget thriller offers enough chills to hold even fickle suspense fans’ attention.

Kelly Reyes (Melissa Keller) is deeply involved in playing beach volleyball with her teammate and trying to reach the finals of the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) playoffs.  Holden, a reporter played by Brian Austin Green, takes an interest in Kelly and they go out to dinner.  As they leave, they are accosted by a stranger who knocks Kelly down.  Holden tells her she’s not safe and should not be alone that night.  At first she tells Holden she can take care of herself, but he wins and sleeps on her sofa.

Strange things start happening to Kelly and the people around her. Although she becomes suspicious of Holden, she must maintain focus on what has always been essential to her and play beach volleyball at her highest level. Is she being paranoid, or is there something darker to this mystery man?

The acting is pretty good and the two lead women seem natural in their roles.  In fact, the special feature, “The making of the movie,” has interviews with both Keller and Jen Crowe about how highly involved they were before filming.  They not only wanted to look good, they wanted to look like volleyball players instead of two street women who were “acting” like they knew what they were doing.  They went through some intense training to learn the rules and regulations of beach volleyball.  Green seems stiff as Holden.  He’s always smiling although his eyes don’t match the smile or the words in the script.  I was skeptical of his acting until the last part of the movie when the AVP finals take place.

This is a sports-oriented film so be prepared to see a lot of volleyball footage.  When I started watching this movie, I thought I would be bored to tears, but there was a nice split between the volleyball court and other locations.

Although Impact Point may not have you on the edge of your seat, it offers enough suspense and character development to keep viewers watching. You’ll cheer for Kelly to win the match while simultaneously hoping that the killer will be caught before getting to her.  The moments tick by as you watch the action from the dual perspectives of the killer and his prey.

Rated R for violence and nudity, this 85-minute sexy, obsessive thriller will keep you guessing. Don’t look away or you might miss something important.

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