The Shimian

This independent horror movie ticks all the boxes. Comedy, heartfelt moments and pure terror.

I was fortunate to have seen the Shimian on the big screen and wasn't disappointed. I laughed, had a lump in my throat and jumped out of my seat several times..

The acting was superb and the family dynamic was spot on.. While you don't get to see the Shimian much in the film, The suspense is gripping.

The music in the film adds to the suspense and really fits..

There's also a special treat for the ladies at the end when the two walkers were obviously very cold!

Well worth a watch, will definitely watch again.

Suspenseful, gripping and full of talent local to the west midlands. The shimian isn't handed to you on a plate and that creates such an atmosphere. The family unit draws you in and it makes you so much more frightened for their safety. There are some laughs, which keep you a part of that family unit and lower your guard just in time to force it back up again!

The soundtrack was great, not just the actual songs being played but also the theatrical stuff that made the atmosphere all the more heavy.

You notice even more the second time and I'm looking forward to the next film from these folks! Enjoy folks :)

No pun intended - we get to see another group of people not being able to see the danger, sometimes right in front of their faces. You have to suspend your disbelief and all that. This is quite generic to say the least - but it does work if you let it of course.

All that said, characters do act in quite the ... well terrible ways at times. Also expected, not that it makes it better (I feel you and you feel me I am quite certain on that). You need to be a horror fan and even then you might be disappointed in some of the things the movie will serve you. You have been warned - not that it would have done any good for the characters in the movie either ...

The Shimian gives us a story of a family which is very relatable to modern audiences before serving up the screaming, blood, guts and usual horror elements later.

The first 30 minutes or so could appear a slow burner to some, but the time is used to build characters we care about (something I find lacking in most modern horror films). But during this time, there are a few scary moments to keep us on our toes and some genuine funny moments between the family.

Tensions within the family start to build as creepy events take place and we're put into their shoes wondering "What is a Shimian?". This is a question we're drip fed the answer to throughout the course of the movie, keeping that mystery and making us glued to the screen to find out more.

Visually The Shimian is a tale of two halves. Scenes in the woods are bright with bold colours and when things take a turn for the worst and the family end up in the abandoned manor house, the movie turns dark.

The soundtrack is one of the films highlights, with perfectly placed themes that draw the right emotion suitable to the scene.

The acting is top notch and although none of the cast are major stars (yet), they hold the film together with very believable performances.

Overall this is horror movie that is creepy, sometimes weird but ultimately touches your heart, a heart that maybe ripped out if you ever come across a Shimian.

Taking a trip to the countryside, a woman and her friend tag along with her family on a camping trip only to find that there's something or someone in the woods stalking them, and upon finding the cause is related to a demonic creature released by a curse must find a way to stop it and get away alive.

This was a pretty decent if slightly flawed genre effect. One of the strongest features here is the simplistic setup that provides this with some solid indie thrills. The family trip and the brief bits we get there about it offer enough to get an idea of what's going on as the hints of a dynamic relationship are a fine way to go about here. Seeing how their issues here provide a means of establishing the strained nature the trip is intended to solve plays a big role in getting us on their side while also getting them out to the woods. Once the group is out there, this one starts in nicely with the supernatural antics on display. Already aware of something malevolent due to the opening encounter, this one generates the fine start to these strange things happening throughout the woods. Starting with the encounter with the stranger to hearing noises in the darkness and the confrontation with the being outside the tent, there's a rather fun build-up here to the underlying suspense of the situation while also playing nicely into their burgeoning paranoia and mistrust with each other. That is brought about even further in the fantastic finale where the creature traps them inside the bunker and begins employing all manners of solid stalking and gory confrontations which give this a lot to like. There are some minor factors here that hold this back. One of the main issues here is the stereotypical arguing and confrontational work here involving the family at odds with each other. Featuring yet another instance of a moody teenager going after a new family member to the unit essentially during the first half out into a long slew of repetitive and cliched scenes doing nothing of interest, which is another slight issue. It takes way too long for things to connect here and the film's use of these scenes is a part of that, as alongside the rather obvious budgetary limitations that arise here are the factors that hold this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.