Vale Maligno

"Out there, we are all lost." Where exactly, you wonder? Why, that'd be on the moors, a place surrounded in fog, myths, and loss. With Chris Cronin's feature-length directorial debut, these mysterious lands take center stage as a grieving father and haunted podcaster search for answers and closure.

The results? Very mixed, but I'm confident Mr. Cronin has a solid career ahead of him. THE MOOR features a wonderful sense of atmosphere and benefits greatly from cinematographer Sam Cronin's depiction of the moody and aforementioned moors.

There are some fun frights to be had here too (a scene in a gully stands out as a highlight), but unless one is a rabid horror fan chomping at the bit for anything new, this one is hard to recommend with much enthusiasm. The film consistently cuts away to documentary-style interviews which, while helpful in the exposition camp, feel tonally and visually out of place with the rest of the film. Similarly, the "true ending" of the film feels incredibly jarring (you'll know what I mean if you watch it). I'm not sure if that was simply by design or if some scenes had to be cut due to budget restraints, but in the end it ultimately weakens the film's overall impact. That overall feeling isn't helped much by our lead "Claire" who is an wildly boring protagonist or the variety of moments where she and other characters fail to react to something cray cray in a realistic way. I've never seen a floating tent before...have you?

Still, there is some good stuff here for those who seek it; Elizabeth Dormer-Phillip in particular is a standout as "Eleanor," who not only breathes life into the film but gives it some much needed heart as well. Definitely a talent to watch. Whether or not the same could be said of Mr. Cronin by viewers after watching this debut, I ultimately believe will vary amongst genre fans. I, however, am curious to see what he does next.

Go get 'em, Chris.

RANDOM PRAISE +

• I will never tire of an ominous-looking animal or statue.

RANDOM CRITIQUE -

• If a woman has a panic attack while hiking across the moors and starts losing it, maybe-I don't know, check in on her? Just a thought.

TAKEAWAY ?

• The likelihood of getting kidnapped while shoplifting are low but NEVER zero.

This is one to put on the radar for horror fans. It's creepy as hell in parts with some stand-out moments in particular one in the tent towards the end. I imagine this is inspired by the Brady/Hindley murders (horrific enough without a supernatural element). If you've ever visited a moor in England it can be unnerving, easy to get lost and a sense of something old and ancient which is conveyed brilliantly in this film. There's a subtle element of paganism with strange carvings and statues, a part of British history that is still relatively unknown but often pops up in horror novels (Phil Rickman being one), and a faceless serial killer that ups the horror ante. It's slow-plodding in places and if had been a tad tighter it would have been stand-out. The cast are relatively unknown but the two female leads are ones to watch. All in all this was a great find.

I see others pan this movie because it doesn't have much action. Now, I'm not sure where in the description, the trailer, the synopsis, or promotions, did it infer this would be an action thriller horror. Before reviewing a movie, be sure you are a fan of the genre. Or at least somewhat interested. You shouldn't watch Maverick and think "C'mon, where's the gore?! Why didn't Tom Cruise get into any fights? It sucks, don't see it. Or pop on the original Predator and say "What a terrible idea, E. T. was way better! Or Schindler's List and post on here "that's not nearly as funny as I thought it would be." The Moor is a Horror, Mystery, Drama film. Turn off the lights, crank up the home theater, enjoy. It did well at the film festivals for a reason. I can't tell you how many movies people on IMDB will rate low and leave a review as if they watched a completely different movie. Sometimes, it's right. But lately, reviews on here make me question our educational system, the impact of information access and overload, and the complete disregard for nuance when ranking a film. Same goes for music, food, museums, and anything we view as entertainment.

Please get a rewrite to tweak it and, oh by the way GIVE IT AN ACTUAL ENDING, PLEASE!

Everything in this is almost done, but not quite. Dad, chill a little, you surprised no one with your antics. Girlie, stop trusting dad, and he's acting like your savior.

Writer, explain the significance of the various locations with obvious importance. We realize they are significant but why and to whom do they have meaning? The audience will never know. Nothing is revealed. Only vague references to "things that are old, very old". This is very lazy writing.

And that ending! This is the cherry on top of this mound of turd of a movie!

Please get some competent folks to fis this movie! It had such awesome potential. I'd love to watch a version that made a modicum of sense.

This is poorly written, hastily finished rubbish!

The Moor isn't a bad movie but I see there are reviewers on here rating it with a ten and that's just ridiculous. A ten means it's one of the best movies you ever watched, one that you could watch over and over again, and sorry to say this one is far from that. It's a slow burner so do not expect fast action, but there is a nice mysterious vibe to it what keeps you interested. Unfortunately the ending is just not good at all which brings some serious damage to the ratings. The acting was good though, the cinematography simple but not bad. There are also some flaws in the story, bad decision making or annoying moments where they can't decide whether they would continue to investigate or not whilst they get serious clues, which in my opinion was just ridiculous. It's still worth watching if you don't mind a slow pace.