Godforsaken

While it's true found footage has been done to death (pun intended) this latecomer has to be one of the scariest I've ever seen, and I've seen 'em all. "Godforsaken" is a terrifying little gem out of the Great White North, and proof Canada can produce some scary stuff. After a delightfully disturbing start, it heads out in a completely unexpected direction, gradually building up to a terrifying final 20 minutes or so that is absolutely relentless and had me muting my television and (I'll admit it) covering my eyes more than once. After "28 Days Later" rewrote the rules, I'm completely surprised someone was able to add yet another layer to zombie lore. The writing was a very good, though sometimes the characters would do something that left me wondering if in their particular universe zombie movies don't exist. But anyway, the acting was substantially better than something with a budget this small had any right to be - no little thing when it comes to "watch-ability," if that's a word. Anyway - definitely worth a look if you're in the market for something different that just might scare the pants off of you.

After hearing reports of religious phenomenon, a man and his friends head to the small-town at the center of the reports to investigate the incidents, but the more they investigate the claims for their documentary the more they uncover a deadly secret is about to be unleashed putting them in jeopardy.

This here was a decent enough found-footage effort. Among the big parts to like here is the fun setup that gets this going, focusing on the resurrection of the body at the funeral which suitably and realistically sends everyone screaming in a hysteria over what's going on. That this is treated as a mystical and truly unexpected sequence with the screaming and chaos at the scene is a rather unique touch which is pulled off well. The desire to document this and explore what's going on brings them into the town where they begin to witness other bizarre features including people who were paralyzed suddenly able to walk or behave in completely unexpected manners than how they were behaving before. This all creates a fantastic setup that's highly enjoyable and rather ominous in terms of religious fervor. However, in the second half this one takes a nice turn and shifts away from the kind of expected setups to turn into a rather fun cult/zombie film hybrid. The setup of the worshippers looking forward to her every movement and reaction with a rabid fanaticism isn't that new and feels entirely believable, the fun starts when this shows off the fact that their members are turned into ravenous zombie-like beings that try to convert more into their ranks which carries on the cult-like mentality on display from before. This leads into a highly enjoyable and likable series of chases throughout the community which is made all the more tense and vicious for the use of the found-footage style here that makes it all up close and visceral to match the bloodshed and gore on display. These are what make this one so enjoyable. There are some minor drawbacks to be had with this one. Like most found-footage films, the pacing to this one is set up to the point where the action is mainly relegated to the final half which can make the beginning to this one somewhat taxing to get through. As the focus comes off more on the build-up of their relationship together and getting to the point of the religious incidents that hardly anything thrilling happens. Being that all of this is cliched and uninvolved carries on throughout the rest of this one as the majority of the time it comes off with that feeling. A lot of this comes from the decision to do the shaky-camera style from found-footage in the overall setup so it's not that big of an issue but does stand out somewhat holding this down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

I would have given this a zero if I was able to. The acting was so bad that it caused me physical pain. The guy in the wheelchair, his acting was so bad I wanted to rip my own leg off just so I had something to throw at him. The Chad's mother, her acting was so bad!!!! Also, the guy who played Chad his acting was terrible!!! It was so bad.

Also, they were dancing around with those red pieces of wood, and they never explained it!!! I hated this film and it was one of the worst films I've ever seen which is sad because I originally liked the storyline it just went round in circles and by the end of it I just hope that they all died. I turned it off after a while because I was doing a disservice to my own retinas at that point.

Found footage is my favourite horror genre and this film let people down.

People who are voting it about a 5 either worked on the film or are family members of the actors.

Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you deserve better and choose another film.

This movie is amazing for what it is. It was made on a small budget and filmed in a small town, which gives it a unique charm. Many people can't appreciate it because they're brainwashed by CGI and big-budget films. The acting was okay, reminding me of a theatre production, which isn't a bad thing at all. The actors brought a raw, authentic feel to their performances, making the story more relatable and grounded. The film's simplicity is its strength, showcasing creativity and passion. It's a refreshing break from the high-tech, expensive spectacles we're used to. This movie should have a higher rating than it does.

Cool twist conceptually. Low budget do no high expectations there but the acting - especially the mom - was terrible. If that could've been a tiny but more convincing this would be a strong contender for a solid atmospheric found footage horror.

It was original in how it combines a few genres of horror into found footage that you don't often see, or see done well. The set up for the story was very unsettling but then it looses steam at the end when you hit trope after trope. But if you're a found footage junkie like me who will watch anything in the sub, then you'll enjoy this, even if it doesn't give you the amazing suspension of disbelief that you need to feel the tension it tries to build.