XIII

This is a very bare-bones simple film that was directed, filmed, edited, etc by the film's 2 actors. This simplicity is what makes the creepiness of it so effective in my opinion.

The plot is two students are assigned to do a video project based on a book. They find a mysterious book with creepy drawings in the library, which leads them to an abandoned building in the woods.

A huge plus here is that there are only 2 characters. So many found footage movies try to have 5-7 characters going out in the woods, making it impossible to even learn who is who (as filming themselves makes this more difficult than in a traditional film). Having only 2 characters kept things simple and allowed them to get right to the point.

The movie is short, at just 46 minutes. Many other found footage movies could benefit from this. There was no unnecessary filler, no ridiculous side-plot conflicts, etc.

The creepy atmosphere of the film is effective and keeps suspense high as you're not sure what will happen. You're also able to sustain the feeling of dread and suspense because, as I said, there's no extra filler or side plots (for example, if other found footage filmmakers had made this with their typical filler-side-plot-conflicts, there probably would have been an extra 20 minutes of one character finding out the other slept with his girlfriend and then a bunch of unnecessary arguing). Without that, you are able to remain tense throughout the film.

The negative reviews on here are the typical cliche "but you don't even see anything! Nothing happens!" whining that applies to pretty much all found footage movies. Really not sure why these people continually watch found footage and then complain about found footage.

There's no dumb CGI ghosts or monsters. There's no delving into the details of what happened or backstory of the antagonist; it's left as a mystery and up to your imagination, and THAT's what makes it a good creepy film.

Bravo to the two fellas that made this.

Two young student filmmakers decide to make a film, after finding a mysterious book in a library, upon discovery of the book's details, it leads them to an old dipalidated building.. To say any more would spoil it. For a first time found footage film, it works, the actors are natural and realistic, the slow build up and fear of dread is suspenseful, the scares made my hair on my neck stand up on end.. Well done guys, hope to see more of your work soon.

Is there any way to rate a movie a 0? This movie just absolutely TERRIBLE. How can you even call it a horror movie? It is 46 minutes but literally feels like 2 hours. Absolutely NOTHING happens the ENTIRE FREAKING MOVIE. Literally nothing. There's a brief glimpse of some ghostly looking girl for like less than a second and that is it. Otherwise the rest of the movie is this group of students walking around with a videocamera the entire time. This movie really could have had potential but they ruined it. I haven't seen the Blair Witch Project as mentioned in other reviews, but I imagine that one has to be better than this. It just downright awful. By far the WORST movie I have EVER seen!!! Don't waste your time!

I get that it is a low budget film, but this movie lacks so very much.

The only reasons I gave this 3 stars and not 1is because the film had an interesting idea, and the acting wasn't downright awful.

This movie is a slow burn to nothing. I love Found Footage films, but don't waste your time with this one. Not once did I feel like it was eerie. Zero jump scares. Zero scares period.

I really hate downing a film, especially when I know that the directors and entire team put a lot of effort into their work, but it has to be said. This film is genuine garbage.

Save yourself some time and watch something else.

XIII tells the story of two university students who come across a creepy little book and decide to follow the coordinates it provides to an abandoned building. There, they encounter more than they bargained for.

This movie is very similar to the THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) in terms of minimalistic plot, tone and production values. It does not really add anything new to the found footage genre, but the potential for it to do so was there.

For example, early on, as one of the characters is researching the symbol in the book, he comes across a story of beings that found a way to become immortal. However, they need to make frequent sacrifices, otherwise they are suspended between the natural and supernatural world. The character asks:"What does that even mean?" That could have been a perfect segue to some fresh ideas, but the movie does nothing with it. Similarly, the title of the movie is merely a coordinate, any supernatural connotations with the number are external to the plot.

The acting is natural most of the time, but once strange events occur, they panic a bit too soon, which reminds one that they are acting. Despite the short running time, the movie spends a little too much time with the exploration of the building without offering anything that would liven it up, such as killer commentary, plot twists, or a faster pace.

Overall, some found footage fans might enjoy this, especially if they like BLAIR WITCH, but most others will find it a bit too anemic.