This film tells the story of a woman who has been given guardianship over her niece after the death of her sister. They move into a house that has a strangeness to it and while trying to plant flowers and make it more like home, the little girl finds a possessed carillon or music box. The little girl quickly becomes very attached to the box and begins to behave in strange ways. Will they be able to figure out what is really going on with this box?
The story isn't awful and in a lot of ways it sorta reminded me of "The Possession" (2012). That film was about a young girl finding an antique dybbuk box, buys it, brings it home and a lot of not so good things start happening. Unfortunately, this film is not nearly as good.
I don't mind watching low budget films because there are those times that I come across some gems and finding those are something I enjoy doing. I still have standards though. It is obvious that this is a low budget film. Not a large cast, very few props, actors that are not so skilled and a script that needs work. This is low budget but low budget doesn't have to be bad.
The key things I look for when watching low budget are: 1. Is the story somewhat believable and does it avoid having a lot of holes? 2. Do I believe the actors have taken on the identity of their characters or is it clear to see that they are just playing the part? 3. Did the director use the settings and props to the fullest capability considering budget? and 4. Was it filmed well?
This film just didn't get there. I believe there was a good attempt but it just sorta flopped. The biggest problem for me was the acting. It felt awkward. I just have to ask, did anyone else think the Doctor's voice was weird? It almost seemed like his lines were recorded in a sound studio while everyone else was just filmed by on set boom operators. It was just weird.
Anyway, if you are looking for something impressive, you aren't going to find it here. If you aren't a fan of low budget, you should definitely avoid it. However, if you do like the low budget stuff and are kinda like me, looking for that gem, this isn't it but you may find it slightly okay. Don't go into it with high hopes.
