The Piper

While the film scores points with its music details, The Piper isn't more than just a generic horror film.

I've always appreciated a film that has a specific focus on something that's supposed to be a crucial part of the story. In this case, Piper does so with its music. The particular haunting composition at the center of it has an especially haunting and unnerving air to it. Unfortunately the rest of the soundtrack doesn't have that same quality to it. We're given a film where the main focus is actually its only strong point..... Those who know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin will at least appreciate that there's a mild nod to it, but it's such a mild part of the movie, replaced instead by a clunky subplot involving a big orchestral performance and some family struggle moments. There was potential for growth, but it was ultimately squandered by the generic and safe approach taken with telling the main story. Plus, a lack of actual character personality makes most of the movie proceed at a sluggish pace.

There's a heavy reliance on jumpscares that just doesn't translate well to the finished product, especially where there were opportunities for visual flair or a stylish means of incorporating the music more heavily into it. Those familiar with the usual tired techniques of cursed things films will find plenty of that here, as well as other bits of yawn-worthy cliche and gimmickry. While there were a few bits of intriguing cinematography, it isn't often enough to warrant proper recommendation..... Acting was also subpar, with Julian Sands being criminally underutilized in his role as conductor Gustafson. There isn't enough visible skill in the performances for anything noteworthy.

The Piper is yet another forgettable film. It's not worth watching, especially with how little it makes use of the music at the center of it.

While watching this live I have to admit the storyline was okay, and the actors did the best they could with what they had been given, nothing really special story wise.

Now the music is a completely different thing. If you love music or feel very enchanted by it and you can be inspired by it, then this is the movie for you.

Honestly there was not a moment in this movie that I was no terrified by the beautiful but heartbeat accelerating music.

I was constantly watching over my shoulder trying to see if the piper was there.

The music will bring you into a beautifully constructed scene of terrifying wait, as if something was really going to happen anytime.

The main melody is in every part of the movie and it leads up until the final scene.

I recommend if you are very moved by music.

Erlingur Óttar Thoroddsen must be commended, for he has written and directed a most intriguing adaptation of "Rattenfänger von Hameln."

The detail that affected me most while watching the film was the death of Julian Sands, who was in fact British and lived in England, while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains in the United States, where he was for the filming of this film... The film is not to blame, of course, but Sands was an actor I was most fond of.

I learned of the film thanks to a list by my dear Brett Petersel, I suspect its global promotion was poor, which is why it is so underrated.

Yes, it is not a cult classic, but it is an undeniable truth that it is a production that will satisfy horror lovers.

Now, I sat down to watch the 2023 horror movie "The Piper" solely because it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, much less actually being familiar with.

But what a surprise I was in for here, I didn't know that the movie was starring Julian Sands. So when he showed up on the screen, imagine my surprise to see my favorite actor popping up on the screen unbeknownst to me. And with "The Piper" being one of the last movies that he worked on before his disappearance and death, that just makes sitting through this 2023 movie from writer and director Erlingur Thoroddsen all the more special.

The narrative in the movie was okay. I mean, it wasn't a particularly overly scary storyline. But writer Erlingur Thoroddsen put together a fairly entertaining script for the movie, based on the classic tale "The Flautist of Hamelin", but of course in an updated and modern setting. The ending of the movie was, somewhat anti-climatic and felt rather rushed, and that sort of took away from the overall impression of "The Piper".

I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble, aside from Julian Sands, but I will say that they had an interesting and talented cast ensemble for the various roles and characters in the movie. I had not stumbled upon Charlotte Hope before this movie, but she certainly carried the movie quite nicely with her performance.

Visually then "The Piper" was okay. It was not a movie that relied heavily on an abundance of special effects, which in itself was a good thing. But the special effects that were utilized in the movie worked out well enough, and certainly brought flavor to the overall impression of the movie. However, personally I wished that the Piper creature would have been given more on-screen time, because it was just a shame that it was hardly in the movie. But of course that is a matter of preference, whether or not you want an abundance of screen time for a creature in a movie or not; needless to say that I do enjoy that.

The music throughout the course of the movie was good. And the concerto music that the movie revolved around certainly was haunting and memorable.

I found that "The Piper" was a good attempt at recreating a take on the classic tale, however, the movie ended up being somewhat bland and rather forgettable.

My rating of "The Piper" lands on a five out of ten stars.

An uninspired horror film and the last screen appearance of the late Julian Sands, that explores the concept of music as a tool of evil through a reinterpretation of the popular story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Unfortunately, it lacks the suspense or imagination necessary to overcome its outdated visual style -unequivocally inspired by the typical mannerisms of 1990s Italian horror- and an alarming lack of effective scares. Furthermore, the Pied Piper's main appearance comes too late and is poorly justified. The most notable aspect, however, is Christopher Young's eerie and omnipresent score.