I have mentioned before that, when done well, I adore the one-person found footage movie. It takes a lot to pull it off, relying on an actor that can keep you engaged, and can portray more than just fear, but humanity. The movie I always go back to is “Leaving D.C.,” which really worked for me. It was scary, but grounded, and that’s what made me really like it so much. This film is cut from similar cloth, and, while not as dark, really scartched an itch for me.
A man sends his wife and child away for a week when his wife begins to believe that there is something wrong with their home. She believes it’s haunted. The husband does not beieve in ghosts, and thus, does not think the house is haunted, but begins investigating the home to get to the bottom of what is scaring his wife. He starts filming everyting, recording everything, and eventually gets more and more equipment to see what he can find. As the week goes on, though, he gets the feeling that things may not be as cut-and-dried as he believed. They are not alone in the house…but what does it want?
If you are not a fan of subtle horror, you won’t like this.
This is a film about tension, and dread, and it builds both very well.
The acting is good, the way things escalate is done well, and as things get going, it really works.
When things come to a conclusion, it was not the film I was expecting, but appreciated that.
I do have a pretty big issue with the film, and that’s that the is a deus-ex-machina to the film that isn’t properly dealt with, or resolved, and it is sloppy, and frustrating as a viewer. It didn’t kill the vibe for me, but it kicked it in the knee pretty good.
Overall, I really dug the film, and what it achieved. It shows that this sort of film can work, without CGI demons, or overdoing things, but letting the horror build gradually toward a revelation.
TL;DR: A really creepy slow-burner that, despite a pretty big issue, shows what can be done with a well-executed core idea.
3.5 out of 5
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36720775
