The Horror Case Files

A Horror movie (and games) review blog.

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Emelie

IMDB

Plot

A married couple hire a new babysitter (played by Sarah Bolger) to watch their three young children as they go out for the night. Little do they know that their babysitter is not who she is pretending to be, and it isn’t long before the children discover just what kind of intentions Emelie really has.

Thoughts

Emelie sounds like it should have been a movie for me. The plot is about a babysitter who starts to terrorize the group of children she’s supposed to be protecting. This could have been the basis for an interesting psychological cat-and-mouse thriller, but sadly none of that potential is realized.

Let’s start with something I think the movie got right. Emilie is very effective in setting a dreadful atmosphere. It doesn’t take all that long before bad things start happening as the character Emelie starts to reveal her true nature. The movie slowly builds in cruelty and this really makes you sit on your edge of your seat waiting for what’s next. I found that this approach worked well for about the first half.

Truth is that the second half of this movie felt like a complete mess. I blame editing and pace mostly for this and I’ll try to explain why. First off, the movie feels like it’s rushing through its scenes quite often. In a way this does keep the story fast paced and exciting, but we never really get to connect to or learn about any of the characters we’re supposed to care about. Yes, the movie involves psychological and physical torture to children. That sounds horrible of course, but because of the lack of character investment those edgy and shocking moments never hits as hard as I feel the film intended. Some people may also say that the shock value is diminished because the movie never gets too graphic with its violence, but I don’t think that’s the case. The things that are implied to be happening to these children are terrible enough just to think about. I think that the problem is that we are supposed to care for these characters just because they are children. And while I guess this works for some people to me it just felt lazy. Add to that that these children were never very likeable to begin with and you may start to see my point.

But what actually slammed this movie into the dirt for me was the camera work. I noticed that a lot of scenes were filmed in close-up or in really tight shots. I guess this was done to convey a feeling of helplessness and imprisonment, but it also really hampers the viewer's ability to distinguish where all the characters are in relationship to each other. Combine that with an overuse of shaky cam and you got a pretty hard film to follow. To make matters even worse at a certain point the movie gets really dark. I am not kidding when I say that during some scenes I seriously had no idea what was going on or who was in frame at the time. It took away any enjoyment from watching the film.

Then I haven’t even talked about the story, which gets equally messy. There’s one scene about halfway through the film where the character Emelie just plainly lays out her entire backstory. It felt like an extremely lazy way to give exposition about the characters motivation. May I add to that the more is revealed about her motivation, the less her actions make sense? After that scene the movie is full with strange character choices, weird plot elements that seemingly go nowhere and an open end that feels forced in to set up for a sequel. Yeah sure..

To end on a positive note though, the acting is actually pretty good. Sarah Bolger, who played Emelie, was a real standout. Whatever I didn't like about her character I can blame on the script, and she did a pretty good job with what she was given. It’s easy to play these kinds of psycho roles a bit over-the-top and I’m glad she didn’t. Instead her performance was generally unnerving at times and I’d like to see what she could do in a better horror film. All three child actors were excellent as well, definitely by child actor standards. Even though I didn’t like their characters I can imagine these must have been very tough roles to play and they all did a good job considering.

Verdict

In the end I can’t say I totally hated this movie. The second half really ticked me off, but the movie started very promising, setting up a really tense and dreadful atmosphere. There are also some very good performances that would have deserved to be in a better movie. I think the worst thing about Emelie is that there’s just nothing about it that's remarkable. For all the shock value it wants to have, Emelie is extremely bland and almost everything about it is forgettable. Combine that with the horrible editing choices that were made and you got a pretty bad psycho thriller. Even if it’s not the worst of the worst, I really can’t recommend this movie to anybody. Take warning and stay away from Emelie.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: 

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Before I Wake

IMDB

Plot

Jessie and Mark (played by Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane) are a young couple who have recently lost their son in a tragic accident. After a time of grief they decide to adopt Cody (Jacob Tremblay), a friendly but somewhat strange young boy. When they discover that Cody’s dreams manifest in the real world when he sleeps, Jessie and Mark are quick to see the benefits of this fantastic power. But as Cody brings a new light to their lives, they also learn that it’s not just the good dreams that become reality.

Thoughts

Mike Flanagan is in my opinion one of the better horror directors we have today (I did reviews on Hush and Absentia in the past), so obviously I was excited to see his latest film Before I Wake. Flanagan has stated that he does not consider this to be a horror movie, and regrets that it has been marketed as such. Indeed Before I Wake is not a full-on horror film. It’s best described as a fantasy-grief-drama with horror elements weaved in. If that sounds like a lot to swallow, that’s because it is. If I had to describe Before I Wake in one word, it would be “unfocused”. The movie doesn't seem to know what it wants to be and tries to mix a lot of different elements together. As a result none of these genres get to stand out. The movie misses a sense of wonderment and excitement to be a good fantasy and it misses emotional weight to be a strong drama. While some of the horror elements were effective, they happened to far apart to sustain any form of tension. What we are left with is a very mixed bag; a movie that drags on until the strong finale finally picks things up.

The acting wasn't amazing but it was serviceable. Kate Bosworth gave a fairly weak performance, making her character Jessie seem emotionless and bland. I didn't get to care much for Jessie or her relationship with any of the other characters. Thomas Jane fared a bit better but gets very little to do here, and there was very little chemistry between him and Kate Bosworth. Another reason why both performances seemed so stale was because neither of them showed any real amazement whenever something fantastic happened. Sure, they both offered up a few “wow, what's this?” reactions, but in the end they always accepted everything that happened with little to no questions. This sense of wonder was vital to selling both the characters and the fantasy. Sadly the movie completely misses the mark here.

Cody was probably my favorite character and Jacob Tremblay gave the best performance in the movie. His character was very likable and you could truly feel sorry for this little boy who carries a terrible power. Jacob Tremblay is best known for his role in Room. I didn't see Room yet, but I’ve heard a lot about his performance and it makes me feel like this kid has a bright future ahead of him.

If I had to point out one other disappointing aspect to this movie, it would be the use of genre tropes. Sure, Flanagan is no stranger to genre staples like the jump scare, but he has always found effective ways to utilize them. And while most jumps in Before I Wake aren’t false scares, they do often feel crammed in just to provide some action whenever the story is in a lull. It was sad to not see some more creativity being used, especially in a fantasy film. Still, Before I Wake does have its moments. Flanagan knows how to build suspense, and whenever the movie focuses on the horror elements, Flanagan takes his chance to shine with his direction. The movies climax is a saving grace. This scene showcases excellent set and sound design, a good use of tension and a surprisingly heartfelt twist. This solid ending to the film is then almost ruined by the final narration that explains the the story in (obvious) details. A stronger and more investing choice would have been to let the viewer piece everything that happened together themselves. It would have ended the movie on a much stronger emotional note, without insulting the audience's intelligence. When I think of it, this ending is actually a perfect fit for a movie where all the good choices are offset by the bad.

Verdict

Before I Wake is like oil and water and tries to mix different elements that just won’t come together. The movie has plenty of great material that just never comes together in a cohesive way. With a better script and acting performances this could have been a great movie and even though it still isn’t terrible, I would call this Flanagan’s first miss. The direction is solid and whenever the horror elements come to the foreground the movie becomes a thrill ride. But when wonderment and dramatic weight are missing from the rest of the film, the entire experience just falls flat. It’s a waste, because the film's finale shows what Before I Wake could have been with a little more focus.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: 

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Crimson Peak

IMDB

Plot

Crimson Peak is about Edith (Mia Wasikowska), a young writer from a wealthy family. She falls for Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), a mysterious businessman who visits her father looking to fund his inventions. When her father dies, Edith marries Thomas and moves with him and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) to their old mansion. With little to no contact to the outside world, Edith discovers that the old house holds some terrible secrets, and that in this place ghosts can be very, very real.

Thoughts

Crimson Peak is the latest film by Guillermo del Toro. Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies ever, so I always love to see del Toro return to fantasy horror. The man is known as a great visual director, who has a keen eye for cinematography and fantastic looking sets. As expected, Crimson Peak looks absolutely amazing. Sadly, the cinematography is by far the best thing Crimson Peak has to offer.

Like Pan’s Labyrinth, this is a fantasy story with horror elements mixed in. The actors all do a fine job with the material they were given, with maybe the exception of Jessica Chastain who takes her role way over the top at times. While the actors are talented, the script gives them little to work with and as a result you never grow to care that much for any of the characters. Their motivations never get developed very well, character arcs don’t really go anywhere, and dialogue rarely becomes engaging.

It’s not an understatement to say that writing is the movies biggest flaw. This doesn’t just extend to the characters, but also the movie’s plot. Crimson Peak is basically a classic ghost story that doesn’t bring a whole lot of originality besides the sleek new look. This wouldn’t be a bad thing if only it was executed well. Sadly Crimson peak is plagued by terrible pacing. The movie felt both too long because it seemed to drag in some scenes, and too short because a lot of time could have been added to build the characters.

Let’s talk about the ghost of Crimson Peak. I really like both their visual and sound design. They felt were disturbing and threatening, which made me a bit disappointed to find out that they don’t actually do much. The ghosts are used whenever the story needs a jump scare or an ex-machina to propel the plot. As a result they never added to any lasting tension throughout the film. Mind you that I wouldn’t call the movie boring by a stretch, because del Toro does manage to build up a couple of very tense sequences. But when in between the spooky moment your movie consists of dull characters and flat dialogue, you have a problem.

Of course, if there is a saving grace, it’s that this movie looks amazing. There were some beautiful sets that were constructed for the Sharpe’s giant mansion and they were breathtaking. The mansion starts to feel like breathing and feeling entity. There’s also a beautiful use of color throughout the film that you should really pay attention to when watching. Crimson Peak drips with atmosphere and the sense that you are watching a real world where ghosts exist. This did make for a couple of great scenes throughout, a few little diamonds in a dull piece of concrete. If not for the visuals, Crimson Peak would be a fairly dull and forgettable horror movie. There are major flaws, that almost seem like they would have been easy to fix and because of that the movie mostly feels like wasted potential. Still, what we are left with is far from horrible and I can actually say that I was entertained, although a feeling of disappointment lingered way longer after the movie ended.

Verdict

The best compliment to give Crimson Peak is that it is a gorgeous movie. Guillermo Del Toro is a director who knows how to create beautiful living worlds that ooze with atmosphere. However, as beautiful as it all is, the world never manages to really engage. As a result Crimson Peak feels average. There’s little of substance here; the characters come off as uninteresting and the story drags on in some places. Still there are a couple of good thrills and scares here and there, and the movie does bring some entertainment. Crimson Peak could have been a new classic ghost story. The potential is all there, but it’s never realized.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: 

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Absentia

IMDB

Plot

Callie (Katie Parker) comes to visit her sister Tricia (Courtney Bell) during a difficult time. It’s been 7 years since Callie’s ex-husband Daniel has disappeared, and now the time has come that he must be declared “dead in absentia”. As Tricia struggles with guilt and experiences horrible visions of her ex-husband, Callie starts to be drawn to a nearby tunnel. She feels there's something unnatural about this place, and starts to suspect that there may be a link between the tunnel and Daniel's disappearance.

Thoughts

Absentia is director Mike Flanagan’s first full length feature horror film and because I’ve enjoyed his other movies quite a bit I decided to check it out. What I found was a surprisingly effective psychological horror movie that above all showed the obvious early talent of Mike Flanagan as a director.

The premise of Absentia sounds familiar and fresh at the same time. Plenty of horror films have explored tunnels, caves and other underground areas and there is something inherently creepy about these dark places. Absentia gives a nice spin on this by not just setting the tunnel as the location for the film, but making it an almost living entity of its own that drives the story.

One of the first things I noticed was how “cheap” this movie feels. Absentia was made for a fairly low budget by a crew with limited experience and it shows. The quality of the images and especially the sound isn’t always great and the directing and cinematography feels very “limited” at times. What I mean is that the camera at times feels restricted and stiff, where a more experienced director with a bigger budget would have made the camera move more freely. As a result some scenes don’t feel as exciting as they could have, and it gives the movie a bit of an amateurish feeling. I can’t downgrade the movie for this though. Absentia was obviously made by talented people who simply didn’t have the experience and tricks of veteran filmmakers. Still, I think it’s worth to point this out in the review.

On the other hand, the fact that this was made by a relatively inexperienced team makes it all the more impressive how much atmosphere the movie manages to create. There is a sense of dread that builds throughout, and the story is joyfully unpredictable (in a good way). During the majority of the runtime I was really on the edge of my seat. What surprised me too was that the movie made great use of jump scares, with two particular scares that stuck out for me. As far as acting goes, the two main actresses did a very good job with their characters, setting up a believable relationship between the two. Sadly not all the supporting cast members managed to pull of the same quality of acting, with a couple of performances bordering on bad. And speaking of supporting roles, Doug Jones is in this movie too, though he is on the screen for maybe no more than a minute. He’s not even in a costume! Heresy!

About the antagonist in this movie I will simply say that it was effective. We do not get to see this creature, and I think the main reason was because Flanagan obviously did not have the budget to create a convincing looking monster. Instead he wisely chose to barely show it at all and make the monster take shape through excellent sound design. The creature’s sound were disturbing and actually gave enough information to let your brain create the visuals yourself. It’s a choice that I really respect and in my opinion worked really well in the movie.

Despite me enjoying Absentia a lot overall, I did have a few serious gripes. First, and most frustrating of all, in contrast to the excellent sound design, the soundtrack was quite lackluster. I think there were maybe 2 or 3 songs overall, 1 of which was repeated multiple times throughout. The music itself was actually quite good, but when 1 song gets repeated in almost every second scene, it really starts to draw attention to itself and pull you straight out of the movie. I think 1 or 2 extra pieces of music would have made this much less noticeable. Another point is that the movie does seem to set up different interpretations of the movie’s events. But in the final scene it also seems to give one definitive conclusion, kind of defeating the purpose of these set ups. Eventhough I did not dislike the conclusion, I would have liked it if the movie’s ending was a bit more open, allowing viewers to interpret events in their own way.

Verdict

Absentia is a very solid psychological thriller that already showcased the talent of Mike Flanagan and his crew. It’s effective in building a great suspenseful atmosphere and setting up a believable “world” and lore. I think anybody who enjoys psychological and more subdued horror movies can enjoy Absentia, but I would especially recommend it to people who enjoyed Flanagan’s later movies Oculus and Hush. The movie definitely isn’t perfect, but it is quite an accomplishment when you take the movie’s budget into account. I had a great time with this film and it’s a great example on how sometimes, less can be more.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a:

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Stir of Echoes

IMDB

Plot

At a party Tom (Kevin Bacon) gets hypnotized for fun by his sister in law. While the hypnosis was meant to be harmless, he starts getting visions about a girl and of possible future events. While he can’t make sense of everything he sees, Tom becomes convinced that he is seeing a ghost and that she wants to communicate something to him. Tom becomes obsessed with finding out what these visions mean, but this puts a strain on the relationship with his son and his wife (Kathryn Erbe). What price will Tom have to pay for finding out the truth?

Thoughts

In theme and presentation, Stir of Echoes holds itself somewhere between The Sixth Sense and What Lies Beneath, two movies that were released roughly within a year of each other. Especially with The Sixth Sense it’s easy to make comparisons, and it’s no surprise that Stir of Echoes was overlooked when it was released shortly after that other supernatural thriller. Having watched Stir of Echoes, I can actually understand that this film didn’t gather as much attention.

Let me first tell you what I liked. This is a very subdued film that does not rely on fake jumps to scare the audience. There is a mystery at the heart of this movie, and the investment and tension comes from the main characters trying to unravel this mystery. There are jump scares, but they aren't “false” and they are not used in abundance. Instead the movie manages to build suspense through subtle directing and creepy imagery. There are plenty of disturbing scenes that do not jump out into your face, and I think that is praiseworthy.

Kevin Bacon is very good as Tom; a likeable guy despite being a bit of an asshole. I thought he gave the best performance and did a good job at making the audience care for his character. Kathryn Erbe was also fine as Tom’s wife Maggie and she had good chemistry with Kevin Bacon. All in all, the adult performances in the movie were all pretty good. The weakest link in the cast was the actor who played the son (Zachary David Cope). I know child actors usually aren’t the best, but this kid felt especially choppy and stiff. It was clear that he was just acting out what he was told to do and as a result his performances felt very directed.

Besides these points I actually only have the one major flaw of this movie to address. To me, Stir of Echoes just didn’t feel remarkable in any way. Stir of Echoes is the textbook example of an ok movie. I can appreciate how the movie builds tension and I was invested in the story. But on the other hand the movie just “happens”, and when it’s over, it’s out of your mind almost instantly. To me what Stir of Echoes lacks is “that” scene. You know how after you finished a movie sometimes one or two particular scenes stay with you because they made an impact? Stir of Echoes doesn’t have such a scene. The entire movie is consistently good, but never is there a moment where that quality elevates to shock or surprise you to such a degree.

This might also be because Stir of Echoes does not feel wholly original in its idea or presentation. The main character sees a ghost. The ghost leaves clues. The main character follows the clues to find out what the ghost wants and other characters think the main character is crazy. Do you see the parallels to the movies I mentioned earlier? It’s not that hard to see why Stir of Echoes was overlooked. It really doesn’t matter how well the movie is made, if it fails to be memorable...

Verdict

Stir of Echoes does most things just fine. It is a tense movie, but one that never becomes a nail biting experience. The acting is mostly good and the movie manages to build up a creepy tense atmosphere. Despite this there is never a moment that Stir of Echoes rises above the competition and sets itself apart, sadly making it no more than average. It’s fine entertainment to be sure, but probably nothing will really stick with you. If that’s the type of easy movie you need, then I have no problem recommending you Stir of Echoes because it is definitely not a bad time. Just know that there’s similar movie out there that did the same story a lot better.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a:

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Mama

Because it’s Mother’s Day I thought it would be appropriate to rewatch and review this movie....

IMDB

Plot

Mama is about two young girls who are kidnapped by their father during a mental breakdown. They disappear after their car crashes off the road, but the girls are found again 5 years later still alive in the woods. The years without social interaction clearly affected the girls’ growth and behavior, and they keep mentioning a person called “Mama” who looked after them during all those years. Their uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) gains custody of the girls with the intention of raising them to have a normal life. Along with his girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain), Lucas moves with the girls into a large house provided by psychiatrist Dr. Dreyfuss, who would like to study the case. As Lucas and Annabel try to connect to the estranged girls, unexplainable things start happening. Has Mama come to get her girls back?

Thoughts

The premise of Mama is interesting enough. How would two young girls behave if they grew up in the wilderness without any form of human interaction? To the movie’s credit this premise is utilised in a creepy way. When the children are first discovered they are basically animals. The look and movements of these girls is unsettling to say the least and the young actresses play these roles extremely well, definitely as far as child actors go. These were probably my favorite performances in the movie.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Jessica Chastain are the lead actors, but Coster-Waldau barely gets anything to do. He is set up as the main character of the movie but then disappears off screen for a long time. Instead Jessica Chastain's punk rock girl is the true lead character. She has the most character growth, starting out as a very cynical person to somebody who comes to deeply care for the two girls she’s trying to take care of.

But the problem is that her character starts out fairly unlikable, making it harder to care for her when she becomes the main protagonist. And even when she does become a more likeable person, she is still not very interesting, since she doesn’t get to do much more than walk into rooms, check out noises and act worried.

“Mama” herself is creepy enough, and an interesting mix of good body acting and CGI. For the most part the look is disturbing and the sound design for her is very well done. But the movie commits a huge mistake about half way through. In general I believe ghosts are scarier the less you see or know about them. Once everything is revealed, all tension is gone. And that’s exactly what this movie does. The movie blows its load way too early by showing Mama fully and explaining her backstory. After that she just loses all mystery and creepiness to me.

There are also a lot of jump scares. Almost any sudden movement by the two children is accompanied by a loud noise or sudden camera movement, to the point where it's almost comical. The overuse of jumps actually makes these scares lose all effectiveness and as a result the tension in the movie deflates. More restraint would have been a good thing in this case.

And how is the story? Honestly there’s not much to write about. The movie is stuffed with Horror clichés and a couple of clunky exposition scenes. Basically the story plays out the way you would expect it and the ending becomes more obvious the more details about “Mama” are revealed. It’s a shame because the initial premise of the movie had a lot of potential, but it’s always taken into very obvious directions.

Still the movie is not as bad as I remember it to be. There's a lot of tone and atmosphere here and definitely for the first half, the mystery keeps you in suspense. The movie also looks nice with good cinematography and great visual effects. And in the end that might just sum Mama up best: style over substance.

Conclusion

This isn’t a bad movie, not truly. There are so many elements in here that are actually good or have potential, but it’s not enough to save the total experience. There is entertainment to be had for sure though. If you like the easy type of horror movie that give you a quick scare but doesn’t stay with you for too long, then you will have a good time with Mama. It´s a watch and forget type of film.

But if you want something more out of your horror movies, Mama will leave you wanting. If you like interesting characters, a story that makes sense, and clever scares, then this is not the movie for you. Mama has some good visuals and the great performances from two child actors, but this is not enough to make the movie anything more than sub-par.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: 

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Lake Mungo

IMDB

Plot

Lake Mungo is a found footage mockumentary, chronicling the death of Alice Palmer (Talia Zucker) and the effect her death has on her family. A couple of strange incidents lead the Palmer family to believe that the ghost of Alice is haunting their house and might try to tell them something important. The movie shows how the family tries to figure out what Alice's ghost wants, while also dealing with the grief over her death. Because how does a family grief when their daughter is dead, but actually not truly gone?

 Thoughts

Lake Mungo is a film made of found recordings, photos and interviews, put together to look like a documentary. This type of “fake” movie documentary is also known as a mockumentary. I find this mockumentary approach to be very interesting since it creates a very strong sense of realism and allows the makers to incorporate found footage in a very believable way. While you could argue that Lake Mungo is actually a very basic ghost story, the style and tone of the movie make it feel fresh. I must admit that at first Lake Mungo didn’t really grip me. It starts off feeling like a “ghosts caught on tape” documentary that you may find on late night TV and at first I didn’t see the added value in making a feature length film about this. We hear of the Palmer family who think their dead daughter may be haunting the house and we get to see blurry pictures and video footage that might show the ghost. Luckily the movie does have a lot more going on, but it takes a while before this shows.

Another movie I’ve seen recently that applied this mockumentary style was The Poughkeepsie Tapes. Style wise both movies share many similarities, though they handle their content and story quite differently. Like Poughkeepsie Tapes, Lake Mungo has a couple of twists and surprises in the plot that are revealed over time. But where Poughkeepsie had us following the investigation on a series of murders, Lake Mungo focuses on a family and their grief, making the story much more personal. There are no jump scares (which would not even make sense within the mockumentary narrative anyway), and while there are some disturbing images, there is no reliance on gore. Indeed, I don’t think there is even a true “antagonist” for most part of the movie. Where Poughkeepsie Tapes created tension through the terrible actions of the killer (who functioned as the clear “enemy”), Lake Mungo builds purely through the narrative and mystery.

 Yes, this movie gets very suspenseful! I guess I won’t call this movie “scary”, though it had its scary moments for sure. Instead, this is a suspenseful mystery. It takes a long time, but once we start to discover what actually happened to Alice Palmer, the movie becomes nerve racking right up to the finale. The story builds up to a reveal near the end which seriously unsettled me like few horror movies have done before. While I really enjoy the film, I do recognize that it has a couple of flaws. The story has some surprising twists and turns, but there is one particular twist which felt completely unneeded. It comes up quite sudden and is actually undone a few minutes later. In retrospect I can see that this twist was needed to set certain events into motion, but I feel this could maybe have been achieved in a less “forced” way.

The movie also delves into grief, and how an actual ghost would affect people in grief. I feel this element could have gotten a bit more attention throughout the film. The topic is addressed several times, but I would have liked to see the makers expand on that maybe a bit more, because it is a very interesting piece of story that not many horror movies explore. Also know that the mockumentary style might make this movie “challenging” to watch for some. The viewer never gets put right into the action. We watch the events afterwards, as an outside audience (as we indeed are). And while this did not bother me personally since I thought Lake Mungo was still highly interesting, I do realize some people will find it difficult to engage in this story.

Conclusion

Lake Mungo really surprised me. It did not capture me right away because the movie takes a while to show its true colors. Once you understand what it´s really about, this is a gripping experience. It’s the definition of a slow burn, taking a long time to fully build up to a shocking finale. The mockumentary style adds a lot of realism and while the plot is actually a fairly basic ghost story, the style makes it feel fresh. Besides a couple of story elements that I felt weren't handled too well, this was an excellent mystery horror.

Just know what you are getting into before you decide to check this one out. It is not a movie that everybody can enjoy due to its slow pace and unconventional way of storytelling. Lake Mungo doesn't rely on big scares or gore, but purely on mystery and suspense. If that sounds like your thing, I can’t recommend Lake Mungo enough. Ps. When the movie is over, stick around for the credits. This is the only movie in recent memory that has mid- and after credit sequences that actually adds to the experience.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: 

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Hush (2016)

IMDB

Plot

Hush is about Maddie (Kate Siegel), an author who is both deaf and mute. One night a masked psycho shows up to her house, and once he learns of her disability he decides to mess with her. She now finds herself trapped inside her own home where her lack of senses might seriously impact her chances of survival. It becomes clear that there is only one way to get out: kill or be killed.

Thoughts

Hush is the new movie by Mike Flanagan. Flanagan previously directed Oculus, a supernatural horror movie that I really enjoyed. Hush is available on Netflix since a few weeks, so if you are subscribed there you can go check it out right now.

Hush is a “home invasion” movie with a couple of interesting twists. Through the entire movie the protagonist is at a clear disadvantage. Not only is the attacker bigger and stronger, but since she is deaf and mute this complicates her ability to keep track of her assailant and to call for help. The attacker also does not want to come in and kill her right away, but instead prefers to mess with his victim first. These are small changes to the classic home invasion formulae that give the movie a fresher feel, though not as much as you may expect.

First I want to say that I really liked the acting in this movie. Kate Siegel is really good as Maddie. Since her character is mute she didn't have any dialogue and had to pull off a lot of acting through just her facial expressions. I actually had to look up if Kate Siegel isn’t really deaf (she isn’t) because I thought her performance was so genuine. She did co-write this movie, which may explain why this role seemingly fit her so well. The actor who portrayed the killer also did a very good job. This is a character whose motivations are not explained. He’s just a psycho and it works within the film and makes him more menacing. This guy gets to do some very messed up stuff and you really start to hate him for it.

One thing I thought was a huge shame was that this movie is not as unique as its premise may sound. I found Hush to be a fairly straightforward thriller. There were a couple of scenes where Maddie’s handicap was used very cleverly and as a big part of the story, but these were few. For example, there’s one scene where she “listens” by feeling with her hand for vibrations. This scene was genuinely clever, but then she never does this again later on. It’s moments like these that feel like the makers had cool ideas for specific scenes, but these were then never employed through the rest movie. Obviously her impairment has an effect on the entire movie, but I felt that if Maddie was written as a character who could hear and speak normally, this would not have changed the movie in any great way. So besides the few clever scenes, the fact that Maddie is mute and deaf isn’t very impactful at all and it makes the movie feel a bit “inconsistent”.

Another problem I had was the pacing. With a runtime just under one and a half hour, Hush is a very short movie. Wisely so, because you can only stretch such a premise in one location with a limited cast for so long. The movie sets its story up quickly and gets to the action fairly early on. The introduction to the killer is very tense as you discover what he wants and what he is capable of. Towards the middle of the film though, it started to drag. The killer makes it clear that he does not want to come in yet, taking away much of the imminent threat. In most home invasion movies you feel dread, because the attackers could be anywhere at any time. Here you know that the killer is outside, and that he is not within range to hurt the protagonist. This severely lessened the immediate danger and the tension for me and it made the second act of this movie less impactful.

Luckily towards the end the pace picks up again and during the last 15 minutes I was on the edge of my seat. There was one scene near the end that was a serious emotional punch that I did not expect in a movie like this. I found it really effective because it got to me. The last act of this movie has some really clever and exciting moments, as the cat and mouse game between Maddie and her attacker intensifies. If the entire movie had been more near this level of tension, Hush would have been a great thrill ride of a movie.

Still, Hush is in no way a bad movie. It is enjoyable overall and since it’s available on Netflix and you don’t even have to leave the house to see it, there’s no reason not to recommend this movie. Still, I can’t help shake the feeling that more could have been done with this premise.

Conclusion

In the end I can just say that Hush is a simple film. The acting performances are all outstanding and the movie gets credit for trying to do something new. Sadly, the movie has its flaws and criminally under-uses its potential. The main point that makes this movie different (a main character who’s deaf and mute) did not have that much impact on the overall plot. A few clever scenes throughout just serve to show as how much more could have been done with this concept. I also felt the middle of the movie was a bit of a drag, sandwiched between an exciting opening and a thrill ride finale. Hush could have been a memorable breath of fresh air. Instead, this movie is “just” ok. It’s solid entertainment and in all respect a very effective thriller. There’s no reason not to watch and enjoy this movie. But there’s also little reason to remember it.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: 

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The Witch

IMDB

Plot

The Witch is set in the 1630′s New England, where a devout Christian family is banished from their plantation and forced to live a solitary life in the wilderness. When their crops start to fail, the family starts to worry for their survival. But when their baby son seemingly vanishes into thin air, they become convinced something more sinister is happening. As anxiety and fear rises, will the greatest threat to the family come from within, or from the outside?

Thoughts

I was lucky enough to catch The Witch last Saturday during the Cologne Fantasy Film Festival, about a month before the official German release. The theatre was packed, highlighting the huge response this movie has gotten since its American release earlier this year. Now that I’ve seen The Witch, I must say I can’t quite understand why so many people want to see this movie. I’m not talking about the quality here; I’m talking about the look, feel and execution of The Witch. Make no mistake, the response may make you feel this is a horror blockbuster, but this is an indie movie through and through. I walked out of The Witch feeling I just saw a piece of niche cinema. There is just no way that I can imagine that this movie appeals to such a large audience.

Now writing this review I am still uncertain how I feel about The Witch, but I will try to get my thoughts clear.

Tone and atmosphere drive the movie. The acting is superb from all the actors involved. The characters speak in old “Shakespearean” English, which can easily sound silly if the actors are not convincing. But the actors sold it and their use of language contributed to making this world feel credible. Even the child actors pulled it off strongly I think. The best two actors in my opinion were Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Ineson, who played the daughter and father. They were both very captivating to watch.

The movie also looks beautiful. The costume and world design were convincing and helped to create a believable world. The cinematography was gorgeous too. There are some great looking scenes in The Witch, with some great use of suspense building, slow moving camera work. Robert Eggers, who makes his directorial debut, did an amazing job here and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a great career ahead of him.

The movie is extremely bleak though. I felt the more the movie went along, the more grey the world became. This was probably a conscious choice, to illustrate the emotions of the characters, but it did make this movie look downright depressing.  And that would be a one word description of The Witch: depressing. It’s one of those movies you recognize is good, but you’ll never really be in the mood to watch it again. This is not an entertaining movie, or a movie for escapism. There is no joy at all. There is little color and the characters go from bad to worse. This is exactly why I don't believe that The Witch would have such an appeal to a mass audience.

Another reason why this movie is not for everyone is that it's hard to classify it as a true horror film. The focus is on the family and their relationships, their faith, and how a family can tear itself apart. The movie takes a while to set up their world and how they live in it. Especially at the start there are quite some slow scenes. These scenes did not bore me because I was interested in finding out more about this world and these characters, but they were definitely not scary or tension filled. I can see though that people who go to The Witch purely to see horror could probably get bored at these points.

The horror that is present in The Witch is very strong though. We get a little taste of it fairly early on and later in the movie, the tension starts to build and build. There is some really messed up imagery too. There is gore but no over reliance on it. There are quick flashes to “shock” you, but the movie wisely lets your brain fill in the details. The movie was effective in that right, but it’s only at the end that the tension is nonstop. That’s why I can’t say that The Witch was truly that scary. It was definitely not the terrifying, unsettling horror film I heard so much about.

The ending.. I was ok with it. It was effective for what it is, but I felt it gave too little closure while at the same time showing too much (which clashed with the subtlety of the rest of the movie). You will know what I mean when you see it. The movie leaves the viewer with a lot of questions and invites you to do some digging into folklore if you want to fully understand all its imagery and meanings. There’s a lot of (religious) food for thought here. If you are not the kind of viewer who wants to make such an investment, you will find The Witch wanting in that regard.

Conclusion

In the end I do like The Witch, but for different reasons than I thought I would. I loved the look, the tone, the acting and the story that is told. But the movie was not as terrifying or disturbing as I had expected. When judged by the hype, The Witch kind of disappointed me, while also gripping me. I am sure it will grow on me still, because there’s no denying though that this movie is made with exceptional skill. Robert Eggers deserves great praise for this accomplishment. As final thought I will say that this is a good movie that does a lot of things right, but it is also not as amazing as you may have heard. And it is certainly not an easy movie you can watch for fun. Don’t see this as your average horror. The Witch is bleak and challenging, but an extremely compelling drama about a family dealing with something unnatural.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: 

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The Visit

IMDB

Plot

Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) are two siblings who go visit their grandparents for the first time in their life. Their mother had a bad fall out with her parents many years ago and has become estranged from them since. Becca, who is an aspiring filmmaker, decides to document their trip in an attempt to reconnect their mother with her parents. While their visit starts promising, they soon discover that their grandparents are hiding some dark secrets from them. With their cameras in hand, Becca and Tyler decide to delve into the mystery and discover a side of their grandparents they were not expecting.

Thoughts

A found footage movie by M. Night Shyamalan? What could go wrong!?

While I am well aware of Shyamalan's current reputation, I have actually not seen many of his movies besides The Sixth Sense. So I felt I could go into The Visit without being too biased about its creator. That probably turned out to be a good thing, because I found The Visit to be surprisingly enjoyable.

If you’ve read my earlier reviews, you know that found footage movies don’t always sit right with me. It’s a gimmick that often doesn’t work and many filmmakers use it to create a quick (crappy) movie on a shoestring budget. In The Visit I felt that this approach actually worked for the most part. Why? Because these were kids shooting their own movie, and it felt like a realistic way for kids to go about this. The story supported the visual direction. Another reason this connected more with me was because I used to shoot my own amateur movies on a camcorder when I was a kid. In that aspect it was easy for me to connect to this story. There are some scenes near the end where the believability of the found footage element was stretched (a problem nearly every of these type of movies have), but this is really the only critique I can offer on this front.

The acting in The Visit deserves some praise. The grandparents did a good job, especially the grandmother. Both of them had an innocent and creepy side to their characters, but the grandmother especially had some really intense and disturbing scenes. She did a very good job on portraying both those sides and this made her character all the more unnerving because you know what this calm and kind grandma is actually capable of. The kids also deserve praise because child actors are often not that great. Both actors did a really good job for the most part and especially Becca was a very likeable character. I fear that Tyler is a bit of a love or hate character for many. Tyler is an aspiring rapper who often breaks into an improvised rap, even when situations are getting scary or intense. He was clearly there to offer comic relief, which some viewers may enjoy while other will be seriously annoyed by him.

This is the main problem with this movie. The Visit really tries to be funny at times, most of the time through Tyler’s character. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not, but more often than not it takes you out of the tense moments. I have the feeling this was kind of Shyamalan's intention, but the problem is that The Visit never feels like a true comedy horror. There are comedic elements and there are horror elements, but they never truly fit together. The movie actually builds suspense really well but when this is cut through by a joke it loses its effectiveness. On its own, the horror elements are very effective, and so are the jokes. It’s just that these two simply don't always mix. I feel this might be because this movie builds up like a horror, and later introduces more of its comedic elements. You end up watching a much more lighthearted movie than you probably were expecting. Still, while I’m pointing this out I must say that it did not bother me as much as it may sound. The jokes didn't ruin the experience for me and I managed to enjoy this movie for what it was. Still, I do recognize that tonally the movie is a bit sloppy and some viewers will not appreciate the mix of horror and humor.

As I mentioned, throughout this film tension is build up very strongly. There were a couple of great edge-of-your seat moments, which is partially thanks to the acting performances and the way the movie’s mystery is slowly revealed. The famous Shyamalan twist is of course present in this movie, and although you can probably see it coming about halfway through, I do think it worked well enough. Just because you know what will happen doesn’t necessarily make the events less effective. I can all in all praise the way this movie handled its tense and scary elements, because I felt really engaged with the characters.

This is actually just a very straightforward movie with a straight forward story. The Visit is very contained, since almost the entire movie happens in or around the grandparents’ farmhouse, and the cast is limited as well. The only real surprise this movie had for me was that I found it fairly effective. It is not a very scary movie, but it is engaging and exciting while at the same time surprisingly light hearted. That makes it an excellent easy-to-digest entertainment movie. And that might be the main reason for people to dislike it too. It’s not a shocker like The Sixth Sense. This movie is “light” horror. It’s not a comedy necessarily, but it definitely does not take itself very serious. It worked for me, and I had a good time with The Visit.

Conclusion

The Visit is a good movie for a rainy evening. It is not a complex film with a deeper meaning. This is a solid suspense thriller that offers easy entertainment. All actors give good performances and the found footage element worked surprisingly well here. The main flaw is that the movie tries to inject humor in situation where it does not always work. As a result we have a movie that is part horror, part comedy, but never feels like a true horror comedy like Shyamalan probably intended. Instead, I’d call this “horror light”, because The Visit clearly doesn’t take itself seriously at all, making it easy to digest, easy to forget, but also easy to enjoy despite its flaws. So no, M. Night has not re-found his Sixth Sense magic yet. But this might just be a first step in a better direction.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: 

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Insidious: Chapter 3

IMDB

Plot

Insidious 3 is about Quinn (Stefanie Scott), who tries to contact the ghost of her recently deceased mother with help of the medium Elise. Although Elise turns her down and warns her of the dangers of contacting the undead, Quinn goes ahead anyway and tries to reach out on her own. As Elise warned, things go wrong when Quinn draws the attention of an evil spirit instead. Whether she wants to or not, Elise may be the only hope of saving Quinn from the demonic entity.

Thoughts

This is the third part in the Insidious series, but actually a prequel to the first movie. I did not review the earlier entries (yet), so I will quickly sum up my thoughts on those movies. I really liked the first Insidious. It was very suspenseful and scary and very well acted. If not for the completely over-the-top finale, Insidious would probably be part of my favorite Horror movie list. Alas, I felt it was just a bit too inconsistent to be deemed a truly great movie. The second Insidious was decent and enjoyable, but didn’t quite impress me as much. Still, I did look forward to the third chapter. Since this is a prequel, I was wondering how the movie would tie into and add to the established Insidious world. Also, this is the first in the series to not be directed by James Wann. Instead Leigh Whanell is at the helm, who was a writer for the previous chapters. I was very interested to see in which direction he would take the franchise.

The first thing I noticed is that Leigh Whanell respected the look and feel of the first 2 movies. This really feels like an Insidious movie. It’s gritty, dark and brooding (even more so than the other films) and there are many similar scare and jump moments. But this may also be my main complaint with the movie. Insidious 3 didn’t feel like it added anything to the existing Insidious lore. The 1st movie introduced us to the story of the Lambert family and “The Further”. Part 2 expanded on this story and tied into the first movie in a few clever ways. Part 3 has nothing to do with the Lamberts, but instead introduces Quinn and her family. Elise, the medium who helped the Lamberts in the previous movies, is one of the few connections to the earlier films. The movie did not focus on her though. Quinn’s story is very much the main story, while Elise’s is treated (poorly) as a subplot. Honestly, I felt that if Elise was not present in this film, it would be a paint-by-numbers Demonic possession Horror that has nothing to do with Insidious. There is an attempt at exploring her past a little bit, but in my opinion this was handled poorly. Without spoiling too much, Elise’s story explores her relationship with another old Insidious character. This subplot felt a bit crammed into the main story line. It slowly builds up towards a finale, but when the finale comes it happens very sudden and doesn’t give that arc a very satisfying conclusion. It’s like the filmmakers knew Elise’s subplot was getting in the way of the main storyline and decided to give it a quick conclusion and be done with it. I liked the main plot for what it was, but it was basically a generic demon story. Had the movie focused more on Elise I think this could have been a more interesting movie and more strongly connected to the other parts of the series.

Now on to what I did like. Like every Insidious movie, the acting is good (and at least better to what you normally expect from a Horror movie). Lin Shaye is great as Elise, just as she was in the other movies. I did wish there was a bit more to her character in this movie, but she had a couple of very good scenes and she was definitely the most interesting character. Stefanie Scott as Quinn was also very good. Her character was believable, and while I didn’t feel she was very fleshed out, you do get involved with her enough to care. This makes some of the more “dark” scenes later on all the more intense. One particular scene near the end was actually really terrifying and this was partially because of her acting. For a young actress I had never heard of before, she quite impressed me with her performance. Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson are back as Specs and Tucker too. They were fine, but their characters were basically the same as in the previous movies. I never felt they were very engaging before and this prequel didn’t change that. But I will say the acting was fine as it is.

This movie is also full of jump scares. While I can give credit that there were almost no “false” jump scares, I do feel that at some points these jumps were overused and the movie could have had benefit from holding back here and there. This movie has a very tense atmosphere, but because of the jumps this tension is constantly deflated to the point where I was just awaiting the next jump scare, which took away all the tension. The previous Insidious movies did understand the concept of holding back very well, and both of those films had plenty of jump scares. They were just used to better effect.

That said, there were actually a few scenes that did choose the slow building approach. These scenes were genuinely effective and terrifying because they often involved some really disturbing imagery. It worked, and showed how much more terrifying this movie would have been had they applied this restraint more often.

Speaking of creepy imagery, I also really liked the monster in this movie. The look and the sounds were very disturbing and made this a very scary villain. I do wish there was a bit more backstory given to this entity because this might have given the character a bit more weight.

Conclusion

In the end I’d say Insidious 3 was a decent movie. Leigh Whanell did a fine job as debuting director and he respected the look and feel of the first movies. My main issue is with the narrative which feels unfocused and jumps between two plot lines. I was also disappointed the movie didn’t extend more on the existing Insidious world. However, the atmosphere is creepy, the villain is scary and the acting and directing were all done well. Insidious Chapter 3 is much better than you’d expect from a horror sequel, though by far not as good as the original. Insidious 3 definitely has its narrative flaws, and is in no way memorable, but I found it quite enjoyable still. At the very least it gives me some hope for a solid next chapter in the Insidious franchise.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a:

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Creep (2014)

IMDB

Plot

Creep is about Adam, a videographer (played by director Patrick Brice) who answers a Craigslist ad for a simple one day job at a remote forest cabin. The task is simple; to film Josef (Mark Duplass) during his daily routine.

Josef seems a quirky yet nice enough person, but throughout the day Adam makes a couple of terrifying discoveries about his employer.

Thoughts

There was a lot of positive buzz surrounding Creep, so it was only a matter of time before I would check it out. A lot of comments and reviews stated that Creep gave a breath of fresh air to the found footage genre, which got me excited. Found footage is a love/hate thing for me. It can work well when used creatively (The Poughkeepsie Tapes or even Unfriended) or it can be a cheap trick to mask a crappy movie (take your pick from the Paranormal Activity sequels). So, does Creep live up to the hype? Sadly not by a long shot..

It’s easy to say I went into this movie with way to high expectations. As a found footage movie Creep did, for a large part of the movie, have a valid reason for Adam to be recording the events that occur. However, just as almost every found footage film, once the situation becomes dangerous the viewer will be left scratching their head wondering why the protagonist is bothering to keep recording. This is something some people will be more bothered by than others, but I find myself coming down hard on this movie trope lately. These moments really take me out of the movie and I know many people criticize the genre exactly for that reason. You can decide for yourself on which side of the fence you are. Just know that Creep is not as refreshing in its approach as you may be led to believe; it makes the same choices and mistakes as other movies in the sub genre before.

The cast of this movie consists of just 2 people. The character of Adam is played by Patrick Brice, the movie’s director. It’s clear that acting is not his strongest skill. I didn’t think his acting was terrible, but it didn’t feel like he was able to put a lot into the character. There was virtually no depth to the performance. Much of Adam’s dialogue doesn’t go much further than “uhm.. yes” and “uhm.. ok” (I hear most of the dialogue was improvised), and as a character Adam wasn’t all that interesting. He also switched from being a reasonably smart person to a cliché dumb horror movie character. I didn’t find myself caring for him and it took a lot of tension away from the situations he gets in.

The titular “creep” of this movie, Josef (played by Mark Duplass), was a much more interesting character. First off, Mark Duplass is an actor who can act and he does a really good job at portraying a character that you’re never quite sure how to feel about. He does crazy and creepy things, but is very disarming and almost cuddly at the same time. The movie relies heavily on this emotional investment in his character, and it does pay off. He is the (in some scenes literal) wolf in sheep's clothing, and some of his more “creepy” scenes were genuinely intense. His performance was for sure the bright spot of the movie. I do understand that this movie intentionally focuses more on Josef than Adam. The audience is supposed to develop certain feelings towards him and this pays off during some of the movies twists. Still, I do feel that there are certain scenes that could have been more impactful if Adam had been a better developed character. A movie can focus on just one character and still have multiple interesting characters that we can relate to. I can’t help but feel this was an opportunity the movie missed.

Another point I can credit the movie on is that there are a few interesting twists in the story, the main one being changing the location and setup of the movie about halfway through. This also marks a tonal change where the movie gets darker and menacing. The first half of Creep is slow, which is normally something I can appreciate, but here I felt it was mostly just boring. Firstly this was because normally slow movies do have interesting characters to keep you invested. In Creep only one of the two characters in the movie was engaging.

Secondly, the first half of the movie had a couple of jump scares that really annoyed the shit out of me. This wasn’t because the jumps were “false”, but more because of the way they were executed. While I realize these jumps were used to illustrate certain characteristics about one of the characters, they mostly felt like they were added because the maker knew there had to be SOME scares during the first half of the movie. It felt cheap and lazy and was executed in such a way that these moments were easily predictable. Maybe if the jumps had been harder to foresee, they would have actually been effective in creating tension and atmosphere. Now they just annoyed me.

Near the end of this second half, this movie does pick up the pace and there are actually some suspenseful scenes. I still can’t say I found the movie scary though. For me the movie started too late with the real tension. Another reason may be that the movie foreshadows its ending way too hard within the first 10 minutes of the movie. From there on it was clear to me how this story was going to end.

I can see what Creep was going for. The movie tries to talk about “trust”. How much can you trust a person you don’t know? How much should you trust them? And what are the dangers of trying to do the right thing? I can complement the movie for trying to tackle these subjects, but for me Creep just didn’t manage to hit the right notes. These are character driven subjects, and it just shows me that such a movie does require a good relatable protagonist.

Or maybe I am making Creep out to be a movie that it’s not. In that case this says a lot about going into a movie with too high expectations. I was expecting Horror innovation like Resolution, or The Poughkeepsie Tapes. What I found reeked way more of Home Movie.

Conclusion

To be clear, I did not hate Creep. It had some exciting scenes and Mark Duplass gave a really good performance and was truly creepy in a few scenes. The movie just had too little of this and took too long to get there. I also didn’t think this movie reinvented the found footage genre in any way. Don’t go in with high expectation. I feel that’s where things went wrong for me. If I had no expectation I probably would have found this to be an alright movie. And indeed Creep is not terrible, but it’s just not memorable to me in any way. I felt this movie wanted to be though. Unfortunately, I found Creep to be a forgettable flick and a big letdown. Sorry, I just don’t understand the hype.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a:

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The Gift (2015)

Hello Tumblr, it’s been a long time! I’ve been away for a while, but now I am back to bring you my first review of 2016!

IMDB

Plot

The Gift is about Simon and Robyn, a married couple (played by Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall) who move to Simon's old home town. While out shopping, Simon gets recognized by Gordo, a guy he knew from college (played by Joel Edgerton who also directed the movie).

After this brief encounter, Gordo starts showing up to their house uninvited and leaving them gifts at their door. While Robyn thinks Gordo’s behaviour is a genuine (though somewhat creepy) attempt at making friends, Simon is not at all happy about reconnecting with Gordo “the Weirdo”.

As Gordo continues to seemingly ignorantly intrude upon their lives, tension starts to drive a rift between the married couple. Robyn becomes suspicious that there is more history between Gordo and her husband than either of them admits. What are Gordo’s real intentions? Does he really want to make friends, or does he have a different agenda?

Thoughts

The Gift was easily one of the biggest surprises of last year. I heard a lot of good things about this movie, but it still managed to catch me off guard.

This is the directorial debut of Joel Edgerton (who also plays Gordo). He directed very subtly, which showed brilliantly in the ways he creates tension throughout a couple of scenes. Edgerton clearly understands what makes a movie suspenseful and he seemed to have a very clear idea on what he wanted this movie to be and look like. The guy certainly has a lot of skill behind the camera and it makes me look forward to his future projects as a director.

While The Gift seems like a very straightforward movie at first glance, the directing, writing and acting performances pull it above your average creepy film.

Besides doing an excellent job as director, Joel Edgerton is also excellent in the roll of Gordo “the Weirdo”. It’s obvious that this is a very troubled and broken character who despite this also appears very harmless and ignorant in social interactions. Edgerton delivers a very subtle performance and manages to be both creepy and disarming at the same time. We as an audience are supposed to be scared of him while also feeling pity and sympathy. If Edgerton hadn’t been able to pull off every little emotion, then the character and by extend the movie would have failed.

Probably the best performance though is by Jason Bateman. Bateman is best known as a comedic actor, but since I saw the movie Disconnected (in which Bateman shows his talent for acting in a serious role), I already knew that he could pull off a dramatic performance. In The Gift he surpasses every performance I have ever seen from him in every way.

He manages to create a complex character with problems and secrets that are not all clear from the start. A lot happens with this character later on that I won’t spoil, but there are some very emotional scenes throughout, and Patrick Bateman pulled this off very well.

Finally, Rebecca Hall also did a great job as Robyn. She plays the character that we can most often relate to through the events in the movie. As the movie goes on, we learn that Robyn is also a damaged person with a troubled history. I did feel that Robyn was not as fleshed out as the two male characters, but this is understandable since the focus is not on her, but on the two men and their relation and history. Still, Rebecca Hall added another great performance as a realistic and relatable character.

I will not say too much about the story of The Gift because this is a movie that is definitely better the less you know about it. As I mentioned, The Gift seems to be a very straightforward stalker movie at first, but as the film goes on you’ll discover that there’s a lot of depth to the story. This movie actually digs deep in some very interesting subjects, but mostly explores the unintended effects that your choices can have on other people's lives and your own. I’m sure many people will actually find parts of this story relatable one way or another, which only helps to make the movie more engaging.

Also remarkable is the growth and changes that all characters go through, and how this movie manages to twist situations and perspectives. The story has a couple of twists, but the greatest surprise is saved for the end. The finale of The Gift was a thrill ride that had me on the edge of my seat and floored by the end. Again, suspense is built throughout this movie to great effect and the writing is genuinely clever and surprising. It makes for one of the best movie endings of 2015.

If there's any point to critique the movie, it’s that it takes a while to get started. This is a very slow building movie, that only really picks up pace about halfway in. Though the pace is low, the movie does never actually bore, since it does intrigue the viewer from the very start through the story and the interesting characters. So while this is not an adrenaline ride of a movie, I cannot flaw it for that reason. The slow build up is certainly needed to make the movie’s finale as thrilling as it was.

Conclusion

The Gift was such a pleasant surprise. It was extremely well acted, very well directed and cleverly written. The story and the dialogue were interesting and I genuinely did not see the final twist coming. The movie takes a while to really get started but the characters are interesting enough that you get invested and want to learn more about them. While the Gift seems like a very straightforward stalker movie at first, there is actually a lot more to the story than you may suspect. After that slow start, The Gift keeps building and building until a shocking finale. To me this was one of the most suspenseful movies of 2015 and I fully recommend everyone to check it out. If you need a good suspense movie that messes with your head, you can’t go wrong with The Gift.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a:

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I’m back! - aka. Best of 2015

Hello Tumblr, it's been a while.

After Halloween I’ve been on a Tumblr break but now that the new year has rolled in I plan on resuming review duties.

As always, no year is totally complete without an end of the year list. So I thought my first post of 2016 should be a look at the best movies from 2015.

These are not all horror movies cause honestly I can’t see that many new (horror) movies when they come out. I hope to play catch up over the next months so maybe this list would look in a month or 2. But as it stands today, this is my top 5 of 2015 releases:

5. The Gift

I saw this movie just earlier this week so I decided to still sneak it into this list. A review for this movie is coming up really soon! The Gift seems like a very simple psycho stalker movie at first but it just keeps building and building. It is an extremely suspenseful movie and the finale simply floored me! The Gift is extremely exciting and extremely well acted and directed. It’s a crime to say too much about this movie’s plot so I can just say that this movie is good and you should go and see it for yourself.

4. Sicario Speaking of tension filled movies. This movie was gritty, bleak and just all round depressing, but damn was it also a beautiful looking movie (and I mean beautifully shot, cause most of the things we get to see are far from pretty). Sicario had some of the most nail biting tension filled scenes I have seen all year. Two sequences in particular are still burned into my brain today. Also I have to mention: Oscar worthy performances all around here. I expect nominations for Blunt and Del Toro at least.

3. Inside Out

Here’s a movie to break the bleakness of the list so far. I love Pixar. They’ve made some of my favourite movies of all time (but seriously, who doesn’t love Pixar?). Inside Out is one of their best movies in years. I laughed harder than any other movie this year. And I cried a bit, that too. Inside Out gives a lot of food for thought with a very interesting premise that touches on very serious subjects, without losing humor. That’s good comedy and that’s why I absolutely love this movie. 2. Observance

If you read this blog you may have stumbled on my review for Observance. I saw this movie at the Cologne Fantasy Film Fest and going in I knew nearly nothing about the premise. I absolutely loved it! Observance is beyond a doubt the surprise of the year for me. It’s a shame this movie hasn’t gotten a full release yet, though it is also understandable since this will be a very dividing movie. You love it or you hate it (to illustrate this, the movie currently stands at a 5.5 rating at IMDB). For now I’m just happy that I managed to catch it once it only showed at a couple of festivals this summer. Hopefully there will be a full release in 2016 and hopefully it will get the attention it deserves. I love psychological horror and this gave me everything I wanted and more.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Because what other movie would I put here? I love Star Wars and this movie is exactly what I wanted. It made the series exciting again. It’s not perfect by far (I have a few serious issues with the plot), but I had so much fun watching this that it’s impossible to not love this movie. I felt like a little kid again when the opening credits started and for the most part of the run time I had a big grin on my face. It’s a return to form for Star Wars and a worthy start of a new trilogy. Above all I can’t wait to see where they take the next movie. Star Wars is back and I couldn’t be more happy with it. That’s 2015 for me. I hope you enjoyed this list. My review for The Gift will be up soon. I can’t wait to share my thoughts of that movie. Hope you’ll check it out once it’s there.

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Happy Halloween to all you dear readers! Meet my girlfriend, who basicly serves as “editor” for my reviews. Yeah, she goes through every single one of them to dig out mistakes and typos and helps me improve the quality in general. Here’s some Halloween makeup she did, inspired by the tons of horror movies we’ve seen together. Check out her Instagram where she posts mandala and other artworks if you’re interested. https://instagram.com/molkoqueen/ I hope you all get to spend your Halloween with someone special. Goes to show you can find love in dark places.

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Layers of Fear

Steam

Plot

Layers of Fear let’s you play as a painter on the edge of madness. Recent personal tragedies have resulted in the quality of his work dropping harshly and while he is clinging to the last of his sanity, he goes to work on creating one final masterpiece.

Thoughts

Layers of Fear is another indie horror game coming out in the wake of P.T., the “trailer” for the now cancelled Silent Hills game. Layers takes ample inspiration from that teaser, along with games like Amnesia. The way players walk around, open drawers and doors, and interact with various objects in the game is very similar to the way Amnesia handled these things. Graphically Layer of Fear is going for a similar photorealistic style like P.T. The game is currently available on Steam Early Access and is in Alpha stages.

Layers surprised me since I had no idea of its existence until Steam recommended it to me. I must say I have enjoyed this game a lot, despite it still being in an alpha stage and still having plenty of bugs. The game is very much playable, although the complete story has not been finished yet.

Layers is set during the 19th century, and you take control of a surrealistic painter trying to finish his final masterpiece. With a less than firm grip on reality, you set to explore the painter's house, as your environment starts to change around you and you descend deeper into madness.

As I mentioned before, this game borrows from previous success titles as Amnesia, The Dark Descent. There is no combat system and the player can only walk or run, and interact with objects. This makes Layers very much an exploration game. Exploring your surroundings is not a boring business though, because this game looks beautiful, even on lower quality settings! There’s an insane amount of details in the environments, making it a true joy to examine every object you may find.

Throughout the game you’ll find various objects you can pick up or letters you can read through. Each will give you bits and pieces on the main character's backstory and the tragedies that have befallen him. By paying good attention you’ll find plenty of clues to what is really going on.

Whereas in Amnesia you often found yourself running and hiding from monsters, the scares in Layers of Fear come from very different places. It’s the environment that haunts you. This is probably the game’s strongest point. The scares are almost all jump scares, but the game brings these scares from different places each time, and while the scares were actually brought very formulaic, they didn’t feel as such since the presentation was always different.

This is where the P.T. influence comes in. The house that you wander through changes. As you go through rooms, you’ll recognise elements from previous places you’ve been, now warped and deformed. Paintings change as you look at them and doors disappear as you turn around. These changes in the environment happen so fluently, I was immensely impressed. Layer of Fear is at its best when it messes with your mind and in this way also really gave me the feeling of being in the head of a very disturbed person. By using objects in the environment to create scares, the game also superbly created a feeling of unease in me, because it felt any object could be a danger waiting to jump out at me. This truly unsettled me at times and made me feel as if no place in this game is truly safe.

This brings me to the main downside though. That feeling of unease does wear off sooner or later when you realise Layers is a lot more linear than you expected at first. For all its changing environments, Layers is still a very straightforward room to room exploration game. The formula is almost always the same. Enter a room, find an object of interest, trigger a jump scare, leave the room and enter the next. And while I found the scares to be effective, you will also soon enough realise that there is no true sense of danger. While in Amnesia there was always a possibility of a monster lurking around the next corner, in Layers there is almost no fear of danger to your character’s health. There is a ghost who acts as main antagonist, but she only shows up way later in the game, and her limits become obvious very quickly. I have to dress that the ghost seemed to be taken directly from P.T. with a very similar appearance and pretty much the same animations and way of attacking the player.

While these downsides mostly hurt replayability, this is a problem almost all Horror games struggle with. There is a limit to how much diversity you can present between your scripted scenes after all. Layers is still an extremely effective horror game on the first playthrough at least. If the scares don’t warrant a second playthrough, further exploration of the environment might. On my second play I took my time and encountered many notes and items I had completely missed the first time around. Again, the details that went into the level design is amazing and just another thing that makes this game such a great experience.

Conclusion

Layers of Fear is at its best when it does something unique: set the environment against you. I’ve never seen a horror game portray madness and unpredictability in such a way before and it worked so well for me. While the game is formulaic at heart, it’s this unique representation of madness that makes it stand out from the pack of the ever growing indie horror games. At the moment the game is still in alpha and its story is still unfinished, but I really enjoyed the story so far. The game could do with a bit more diversity in the way it’s played, and I could imagine the additions of some puzzle elements would add to the experience. I am very curious which ways the story will go to from here because the game so far impressed me a lot.

I was extremely unsettled at times, probably more than I have been by any horror game this year. Layers of Fear was a huge surprise for me and despite its flaws I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Layers of Fear is the game Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs should have been: strong on storytelling and atmosphere and not holding back on the scares.

Layers of Fear is on sale during Halloween, so if there was ever a time to pick this game up, now is the time! The game is worth playing as it is, though you may want to hold your first playthrough off until the game leaves alpha. Get it while it’s cheap!

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a:

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Triangle

IMDB

Plot

Triangle is about Jess (Melissa George) and a group of friends who go sailing on a yacht. Once they are on the wide open sea, a storm appears out of nowhere and wrecks their ship. As the survivors drift along on the wreckage, they spot a cruise ship on the horizon and board the vessel when they get close enough. Once aboard the ship they discover that the crew has apparently disappeared. But they are not completely alone, as they become hunted by a masked gunman who is out to murder them all. Can Jess and her friends survive this mysterious stalker? And what is actually going on aboard this ship?

Thoughts

When reading the plot of Triangle you could imagine this film to be just another slasher/killer mystery movie, but luckily this film has a lot more to offer. I can’t go into details about the plot because I don’t wish to spoil anything about what happens. Triangle is one of those films where it’s best to go in knowing as little as possible in order to enjoy it the most. I’ll just say that for the first 40 minutes or so, this movie does indeed seem to be a pretty straightforward killer flick. This is only the first part of the story though, and it is followed by a mind fuck of a second act.

Melissa George is really good in the role of Jess, a clearly very troubled character. The movie starts off with her and her autistic son at home. She seems to have a lot of difficulty raising him and it becomes obvious she’s mentally on the edge. I think Melissa George played this broken person very well and she had the right subtlety to show that there’s clearly more to the character than meets the eye. Indeed a lot about Jess isn’t revealed until later. The rest of the actors also did a fine job as a supporting cast. Their characters didn’t get the same kind of development as Jess did, but this is understandable in the context of the movie. This is also one of Liam Hemsworth’s first movie, though his role is limited.

If there’s one downside to this movie, it is the same point that also makes it interesting: the plot can be extremely confusing. From the second act on, Triangle throws so many things into the mix that it can be hard to keep track of what is exactly going on at what moment. I’ll just say that a lot of things start happening at the same time, and while some of these are clarified over time, some events remain unexplained. We never get an answer to why the things in this movie are happening or how this got started. As a result the audience is left to figure out a lot of stuff on their own. And while I’m all for speculating and puzzling parts of a movie together, it also begs the question if the movie actually has a logic behind it. Did the writers themselves know exactly how all these pieces fit together?

In the end I wasn’t too bothered because I enjoy these vague, open ending movies. Triangle gives you enough pieces to grasp what is happening as you watch it, but once you start really digging deep, you’ll find there’s much more happening off screen that never gets fully explained. I can imagine some people will walk away from this movie scratching their head, bothered by the vagueness of the plot, and maybe even writing it off as a mess. There are no certain answers offered here, which may be seen as a cop out by some. However, Triangle is a movie that begs for you to pay attention, and it will make you want to rewatch it again and again to look for hidden clues you missed the first time around.

Another dislike I could mention is that this movie (besides the mystery) doesn’t offer much more depth of any kind. The movies does try to deal with the multiple sides that can be found within one person, the battle between good and bad, and how the choices of a person determine how they will be remembered. But these are not topics the movie delves deeply into. I feel that these are themes the movie could have explored more thorough without compensating on entertainment and it would have been for the better. Triangle is definitely good and fun to watch, but in the end it’s not a very substantial, memorable movie. It will have you puzzling about its plot for a while, but you won’t walk away with any deeper food for thought. And because it did feel like the movie tried to touch on some deeper topics, I think it failed in that regard.

Conclusion

Triangle is a deceiving little movie, not showing its true colour until about 40 minutes in. The story can be extremely confusing but is also undeniably thrilling and it invites to be viewed multiple times. Melissa George carries the film in multiple ways with an excellent performances as a damaged mother stuck in a place she has no grasp on. Her portrayal is realistic and she becomes a character we can care about. This movie’s plot might be too confusing to appeal to a mainstream crowd of people, but don’t let this daunt you, because this is a well crafted film. It is a little surprise that I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. The movie is far from perfect and besides its mystery it is not a very substantial film, but I can recommend it to anybody who likes Horror movies and wants to watch something refreshing. Triangle is a good time.

In conclusion The Horror Case Files rates this movie with a: