The Reading

Just finished watching this movie and I am glad Monique has returned to the movie screen collaborating with Lee Daniels again. Unfortunately, this isn't necessarily what I wanted to for Monique as her comeback film. The movie's strengths are the super natural aspects & Monique's performance. That was quickly replaced by a confusing plot twist, sub par acting from other actors, non sensical sub plots, and pacing issues that caused me to yawn several times over! Monique's performance is scary at times and near comedic especially towards the end. I had subscribed to BET Plus to watch this, but quickly unsubscribed after it was over. This was a good bad movie...

I really don't know why this movie is getting such bad reviews? It was exactly how a horror should be. There was suspense and plot twist, and even had a little comedy. I especially liked how they did not waste their time getting to the point. I don't know if the negative reviews are because there's not blood and gore?

Or it's because people are typically use to films like this with a certain demographic not being as good and watched this one and is possibly upset that a certain demographic was able to produce a decent horror film with a good budget? Or possibly they didn't watch the previews of this movie and assumed it was going to be some Wayne Brothers comical spin on horror movies?

Watching this movie made me wish I had attended film school, just so I could have the technical knowledge to effectively explain all the things that are wrong. The more I watched, the more confused I was. I was being generous when I gave it four stars. The acting and dialogue were ineffective. I do not understand the Emma character. She was confusing and near the end she was just all over the place.

There are so many holes in the script and so many questions throughout, that I'm unable to decide what the end really meant.

I want to walk away from a movie feeling like it was either completely believable or such a fantastic story that I'm willing to believe it because it was so well done - like The Sixth Sense. This was neither. I walked away from the movie asking why seasoned industry professionals put their names on this. And in the final credits...why was Monique credited three times for the same character? I don't even want to guess.

Watch this movie if you're a serious film student looking for a movie that is full of issues and things to not do when making a film. If you're a regular person, just find something else to watch...unless you enjoy train wrecks and dumpster fires.

Monique was great , the others not so much . If they took another direction with this for instance , if they would of kept the narrative of the break in and she helped find the killers 1 by 1 and Monique would go out and kill them secretly but the plot twist is she hired them . Another ideas would be she was a loving mother who just wanted revenge, last plot twist she was possessed and the made it an exorcist type flick lol. I gave it a 5 star because I feel like had Monique had a better cast and better script it would of been a great movie but she still made it work with the scraps she was given and momma made miracles every thanksgiving.

I need answers & I need them now. The best actor in this was Monique...and that's not a compliment.

Who convinced Monique that this was a good idea?

Why didn't Monique run when she read the script?

Why would put out such a good trailer only for this to end up being trash?

How was this movie ever made? Who paid for it?

Whoever writer this...WHY?

Who every the casting person is, WHY? The movie starts off great. The idea that the girl could actually make contact with the dead was a good plotline but noooo, what does Lee Daniels & the writer do? Somewhere at the 35-40 minute mark, the story line shifts & becomes a comedy.