Regarding '13 Eerie', that it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there (though there are decent to good ones as well), made me apprehensive, as well as that there are more bad zombie films than good ones. Did like the idea though and the cover gave the impression it would be fun and creepy.
'13 Eerie' is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws present in those films are here, that to me was incredibly disappointing considering its potential which it doesn't do anywhere near enough with. It is weak despite a promising start, with so many huge flaws and doesn't do anywhere near enough with its potential, which was quite a good deal. There is hardly anything good here, just amateur hour for most of the film
What stops '13 Eerie' from being unwatchable is the first 20-30 minutes or so, very promising, does maintain intrigue and actually does live up to the title.
Katherine Isabelle also tries hard and carries the film quite well.
Unfortunately, '13 Eerie' falls completely downhill once the zombies appear, and the rest of the film is a complete and utter mess.
Going on to the negatives, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it comes over as vague and under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less unsettled and never gaining momentum. All the characters are too sketchy and with cardboard thin and colourless personalities and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their annoying and illogical decision making and behaviours frustrates. The chemistry is bland and unfocused.
The sound quality is obvious and utilised cheaply (being too loud in the build ups and people's reactions) and all of the acting is lacking severely on the whole excepting Isabelle, that's actually an understatement as the worst of it is horrendous. There is no sense of horror or engagement with the awful predicament they're in, and no connecting with the character, it just reeks of indifference which makes the viewer not care less too.
Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace and film drags on forever after the promising first twenty minutes, interest is lost fast. The ending has no build-up and just ends ridiculously and anti-climactically. Found too many of the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness, a lot of dumb and vague moments and explanations and the lack of tension and suspense. Thrills are few, thanks to stodginess and excessive over-familiarity, and found myself never invested in the drama, which tended to be indifferently acted, interminably paced and statically directed.
A lot of '13 Eerie' has really dull and going nowhere plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations, while too many of the things to make you shocked are far from creative or unsettling. It all feels rather mean-spirited. The zombies are as far away from intimidating or creepy as you can get, the unintentional goofiness of their appearance is where the problem start, followed by the lack of personality, how poorly used they are and how severely lacking the zombie action is.
Very little freaky or interesting, no development and too derivative, while everything once the zombies appear is unimaginative and are more odd than scary, completely failing to show any sense of dread. There is very little interesting or illuminating with what the film was trying to do and the drama is overwrought, the zombie action has no guts or adrenaline and basically just lumbers along. Some badly sagging momentum too and a lot of weirdness. The direction is leaden, got the sense their heart was not in it and it lumbers just as much as the zombies, and the music is ill-fitting. '13 Eerie' is very amateurish visually, making one feel nauseous and actually did feel a headache coming on. It is haphazardly edited and the zombies look awful.
Overall, eeriness is sadly minimal. Started off well, felt like a different film once the zombies were introduced and it stayed that way until the end. 3/10 Bethany Cox
