An abandoned ghost town is haunted by its limited and long gone population. Seen it before? Me too, but that's okay.
The same types of stories are told over and over, in every genre, and that's fine; retellings still often manage to bring something new to the table.
Teardrop did not... but it absolutely could have.
I went into it hoping for, though not expecting, a fresh perspective on the subject; I got what I expected, yet was still disappointed. What could've been a great film was held back by a screenplay that felt far from ready to be shot.
Teardrop, as a concept, had the potential to truly set itself apart, and drastically raise the bar. Sadly, the writing didn't allow the concept to shine.
Major plot points/twists were casually, and constantly, volunteered by the characters (through terrible dialouge), leaving no room for the audience to feel any suspense, or attempt to solve the mystery of Teardrop on our own.
The only thing I could view as an actual twist, delivered effectively, was Chris smothering Josie.
The writing answered every question in the first act, then failed to answer any of the new questions it introduced in the third; we're told everything in the beginning, yet know nothing in the end. When done intentionally, it's masterful. However, this time felt very unintentional.
Overall, Teardrop is conceptual gold mine that wasn't properly dug into.
