Having watched a LOT of found-footage films at this point, it’s interesting to note that a strong part of what makes them what they are is a DIY ethos and feel. The slicker the production, the less charm it often has. Found footage just isn’t a subgenre that sees Hollywood bother with it, though, as CLOVERFIELD proved, that’s not always the case. It’s the lack of slickness that makes the films feel more “real” to the viewer. More believable.
Sure, we know it’s a movie, that there’s no witch in the woods, that it’s not really Hell beneath the city streets, and that a young woman really isn’t possessed, but the joy in art, especially movies, is when you are so invested in things that you wonder what if?
While most found footage is made on a barely budgeted scale, often by emerging filmmakers, some have good production values and don’t look like they were made by friends on a weekend. Ladies and gentlemen, meet “Raw File.”
“Raw File” brings us a mystery. A person appears to commit suicide from the top of their apartment building but there’s something strange about it. He didn’t seem to be looking to kill himself, and indeed, it appears as if something…helped him do the deed. Enter an investigator trying to get to the bottom of this mystery. The young woman and her cameraperson arrive at the apartment complex and investigate the building, the roof where the deed was done, and even the people who knew the man. As the investigation deepens, so too does the mystery, as it seems that this suicide may have been more than it seems. Something strange is happening in the complex, something involving rituals, hidden symbols, and perhaps something even darker.
I started this review off by talking about how few found footage films look like they have a budget, but with “Raw File” there is a slickness that really gives the film a great look. There are digital effects that could have made the film look cheap and corny, but which genuinely work and look good. The acting here is very good as well, with the actors taking the story seriously, and not hamming it up or playing things broadly. The movie is well-made and slowly unravels the mystery, which benefits the movie.
My problem with the film is that there are a lot of pieces on the board that never fully move. We get a full movie, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not satisfactory. It doesn’t feel like it flows and makes sense, but just keeps upping the ante until the conclusion. It’s certainly not a bad movie, but the motives of the lead, the stretches in logic, and a general feeling that things aren’t cohesive derailed it for me.
TL;DR: A very well-made film, with nice digital effects and acting, can’t hold the film together as it unravels at the end.
2 out of 5
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 