Paralysis

As a lover of thrillers, horrors and all things scary movie, I wasn't too sure of what to expect of Paralysis. Honestly, I am blown away at the storyline, the palpable tension throughout the movie, and the attention to detail that went into making this film. Without giving too much away, there are plot twists that keep you guessing throughout and jump scares that genuinely make you jump. The entire film is just very well done and exceeded my expectations as an Indie Film. I can see why it earned so many awards at various film festivals! I would highly recommend Paralysis to anyone who is looking for a scary movie that also has a great storyline to keep you engaged.

I enjoyed this film. Lots of threads weaving around and brought together for a satisfying ending. Very good use of some scary images and it keeps the floating sense of unease and unreality going. I don't like an unresolved "you figure out what happened" ending, and this film avoids that nicely. Good depiction of the distress that family can cause. No time wasted in diving into the story, and a generous amount of creepiness. The main character does a very good job of portraying how debilitating poor sleep/bad dreams can be. This movie digs right into personal horrors without having to resort to a bucket of blood.

Not a genre I typically watch, nor typical for the genre. Emotionally wrenching and lots of twists and turns with a satisfying ending. It is incredible that this film was created and shot using a mobile phone on a shoestring budget. The entire film had a sense of dreaminess and semi consciousness, as though you are drowning and your synapses are randomly firing, blending reality and memory and fear and guilt until you are unable to discern which way is up, your lungs burning as you flail for the surface and air. That the scenes are confined to a handful of rooms and locations drives home the isolation of the main character and her being tethered to her grief, unable to move, paralyzed.

I really wanted to like Paralysis. The premise is intriguing, and I'm sure there's a solid story underneath it all. Unfortunately, I found it almost impossible to get into the film because of the acting. It felt more like a local theatre production or a student project than a professional film. The performances just didn't carry the emotional weight needed for this kind of story - they often felt flat, awkward, or overly dramatic in a way that pulled me out of every scene.

I don't say this lightly, but I genuinely believe someone with no acting background could have delivered a more natural performance. That made it hard to connect with the characters or feel any real tension, which is a big problem in a psychological horror like this.

That said, credit where it's due: the team clearly had passion and a vision, and the concept could've worked with stronger direction and casting. I just hope future projects put more emphasis on performance quality, because that alone can make or break a story like this.

This film is a great psychological thriller to watch in the dark. Good luck trying to sleep after, though. The writer and cast gives it their all and you can tell there is heart and soul in this movie. I would have thought the budget was easily 10x what it was. The make up and effects are top tier.

The plot twists and turns in unexpected ways. What you originally think is "just a demon" evolves into talking about deep-rooted trauma that has been packed away.

The set and lighting are perfect to make this extra spooky to your core!

I hope this director continues to make many more films so I can watch them all!