Movies like The Flock and Robert Livings' Infrared do what found-footage style films should do: keep the whole film shot in a first person camcorder. By doing so, the film makes the viewers feel as if they are directly going through the experience with the characters. Besides the cinematography, I liked how The Flock uses real abandoned locations for the majority of the film. This not only helps with the immersion, but it increases the horror aspect as you don't know what's lurking around the corner.
As a whole, the film is well-acted, with the cult leader, Crow, being the best of the bunch. Patrick Liberatore really sold me as a crazy cult leader who tries to be the second coming of Charles Manson. Additionally, the kidnapped camera operator did a good job acting as the audience surrogate following V and Danny. He reminded me of Ethan Winters from Resident Evil VII in many ways, as Ethan, like the camera-op, was our introduction to the events of the story. On the side of the mercenaries, I liked Trinity's chemistry with Son. The two come across as having a sibling-like relationship that was wholesome.
What I wished the film did better is to have a more focused plot and main character or group that we could follow. The Flock has the viewers following two groups and I was confused as to which one we should relate to or sympathize with. Also, I felt that the plot was a bit unfocused, especially with the limited runtime. As the film went on, I had trouble discerning whether The Flock as a cult were truly evil. However, that is likely the intention of the film by making you question how bad they really are.
Despite a few flaws with the film, I can safely say that The Flock is another solid inclusion in the list of new found-footage style horror films. It does a good job in production design, acting and cinematography. Unlike a lot of horror films that rely too much on jump scares, The Flock feels more atmospheric, as if the feeling of danger was on the horizon. Combined with an effective and likable cast, we get both a frightening and engaging film!
