Frogman

When I first heard about this movie I was obviously skeptical. It had the premise of a cheaper version of "The Blair Witch Project" but instead of a witch, the threat would be a "Frogman". However I like found-footage and had to give this a try. It's basically exactly what I expected with three characters asking locals about the Frogman and if they believe that he exists. They even visit a little gift shop with Frogman related items. In there you can spot a few funny things and memes which is a nice detail. It takes quite a while for something relevant to happen and once the Frogman appears on screen it was not particularly scary but rather funny in a strange way. It was a little bit hard to take this "threat" seriously but the movie sure has some ideas to make it interesting. It reminded me of a V/H/S/-segment which probably wood have worked better because the even shorter runtime would have made the pacing much better. It also definitely suffers from some of the usual flaws of found-footage movies. Once something interesting happens on screen, there are weird and annoying glitches and the camera starts shaking like the camera man has Parkinson's disease. Overall it's a fun idea with an enjoyable third act and some decent effects and I would recommend it if you enjoy found footage movies and don't mind their downsides. [5,9/10]

There are two key elements to making a Found Footage film work. The first and biggest one is obviously the ending. Everything is leading up to that moment that is going to explain why the footage needed to be found.

The other part though is the build up. Even though most Found Footage horror is on the shorter side of runtimes generally, there is still a long time where the audience has to follow these characters around in anticipation of what is going to happen. The build up has to be tense and has to fill us with a sense of dread. We have to be worried about what is to come. This is where 'Frogman' lets itself down.

The build up wasn't very good at all. It was never established why anyone should be afraid of 'Frogman' (or even if anyone was, for that matter). Everything in the buildup just felt like filler. Yes the characters had a little bit of charm but that wasn't nearly enough.

It leaves a massive weight on the ending to basically carry the entire film, and it simply couldn't do that. 5/10.

When the movie started, I was really enjoying it. My friend was talking and it bugged me because I found I wanted to be engaged - even if the concept was a bit silly or whatever, on the face. I thought the first reveal of the Frogman was fun, and was looking forward to the rest of it.

But found footage films are all about the thrill of immersion - feeling like this somehow could be real. If it's done right, it can make something average feel very impactful (see - Blair Witch Project). Unfortunately, Frogman suffers from some bad acting at times, but especially from 'film effects' that don't make sense. If we're watching 'found film' it doesn't make sense within the world of the movie to have glitches and flashbacks and psychological effects - so you get pulled out immediately. Unfortunately the end of the movie suffers a lot from this so I found the ending just a letdown because of it. It's too bad, cuz I wanted it to be good.

I've always had a soft spot for those offbeat, lower-budget found footage movies. They have this raw, unpolished charm that I just can't resist, and this one definitely tapped into that familiar vibe. The acting is fairly average, and the camera work is rough, even by found footage standards. It also drags on a bit longer than necessary, which can make it feel sluggish at times. However, I have to give credit where it's due-the creature effects and a few scenes near the end were surprisingly well done. The handheld, shaky camera style really worked in its favor, masking some flaws and adding a layer of tension to the overall eerie atmosphere.

Look, we all know that horror is a truly subjective genre, and found-footage probably gets the worst rep out of any of the sub-genres. I genuinely don't understand the outright vitriol people have for it, where they automatically dismiss anything FF because of 'bad acting", "bad special effects" or some other subjective opinion. As one of my favorite sub-genres, found-footage has an authenticity that usually isn't found in other types of horror. It seems like so many people are busy trying to be scared that they fail to enjoy these movies for what they are; low budget entertainment made by regular folks and not seasoned Hollywood vets. That being said.....

I do agree that the premise is weak and the entire mythology around the creature is laughable at best, but for a low-fi, low budget found-footage film, it actually did what it said it was going to do, and it was fairly entertaining to boot. We got some genuine comedic elements, some decent acting, the pacing was good, and the film does not overstay its welcome. Although the creature itself could have spent a lot more time in the design stage, I guess what we got should be commended since it was actually exactly what anyone could expect from such a thing. So the film itself is pretty middle of the road, as far as FF films are concerned, and I've certainly seen my share of absolute garbage ('The Curse of Aurore' comes to mind as one of the worst).

My issues with this film are almost all related to the visuals. Yes, it's low-fi. Yes, the budget is limited. Yes, the frog has telepathic abilities that affect cameras and prevent them from working properly every time you want to get a really good look at the thing. But yet again we have a movie were all the action happens at night, no one carries flashlights or any other sources of light, and cell phones are only brought out at the very end. It's all very bizarre. You think I'd be caught dead in the woods without a survivalist lantern in this day and age? I mean, come on, now. Horror using darkness to hide its budgetary shortcomings isn't new, but I'm just tired of it. I'm tired of having to squint to make out "something" in the background, or having people running blind in the woods because they think it's much more effective to have people frustrated at not being able to see anything. I can't wait until someone has to balls to film an entire movie in daylight or with great light sources. I just think that keep everything hidden in darkness is no longer an affective way to make a horror movie.

Overall, I did enjoy this movie, it had be gripped to the end (as ridiculous as it was), the mid credits scene was a nice touch, and it definitely wasn't the worst FF movie I've seen. But with a premise as weird and hokey as a "frogman", they really should have knocked this out of the park with the execution, and they just didn't. I understand why others disliked this film, but I also think many people are just being overly critical because its FF. All of the reviews mentioning the 'bad acting' every time a FF releases proves it.