La tour

For some reason, I initially had a different movie in mind when I started watching this, and it took me a while to realize that I was actually watching a different film. Nevertheless, Lockdown Tower turned out to be quite an intriguing viewing experience, and my feelings about it are somewhat mixed.

The movie kicks off well, drawing me into its narrative. The early segments set high expectations, but unfortunately, this momentum doesn't sustain itself until the end. As the story progresses, it somewhat stagnates, with few novel ideas or events being introduced. The extensive cast complicates matters, making it challenging to discern who's who and which side they're on.

Make no mistake: the movie implies eerie and disturbing events within the tower. However, the intense atmosphere established in the beginning gradually dissipates. Eventually, the movie concludes rather abruptly, leaving viewers with lingering unanswered questions.

Am I satisfied that I watched the movie? Yes. Would I watch it again? No. There are some logical flaws and an unrealistic timeline that raised my eyebrows and caused frustration. Nevertheless, Lockdown Tower represents a noteworthy and distinctive addition to the genre of films where horror emanates from the dynamics within the community of survivors.

No pun intended - I had heard good things about this, so I though I'd give it a try. Unfortunately the very good idea ... well let's just say I feel there could have been way more to the movie than the final product gives us. While the effects are good and there are some shock effects ... I do wonder ... not about what is beyond, but what could have been ... in a better world.

The movie starts off quite on a high level (no pun intended here either) ... and we are trapped with everyone inside. From there on the movie goes off - well not literally of course. And what does that do to the people inside the house? It feels like someone really though about it ... but there could have been even more tough.

Just remember to never take a tour in this house ...

I've always wanted to live in a Highrise. Until now.

I'll go on record here. Outside of Hollywood, look no further for horror than Australia, South Korea and France. Okay, okay, if you like ghost stories, Japan, but that's really not my bag.

I'd equate them all the same. I love all three country's horror. Not one over the other. This one is French and it really doesn't matter as, sadly, racism extends globally.

The movie REC (or for us Americans, Quarantine) already did this, but not like this. AT ALL. This was creepy and REAL. So simple and yet so effective. Many won't watch this for a factor of reasons: it's subtitled, it's somewhat uneventful, it's low-action/jump-scares, it's foreign and it's on Shudder, a channel most people don't have/know about. And that's all too bad. This movie is powerful, impactful, HAUNTING and will probably stick with me. And quite literally, is enormously basic and equally effectively.

One normal morning the residents of high tower quickly realize there's some black goo (??) or void surrounding the outside of their residence. Any object, including themselves, that attempt to pass through...gets eaten up. How? Why? What happened? Your guess is as good as theirs. But one thing is for sure, survival instincts will kick in soon and who will survive and who will make it out depends....

This movie, as stated, is basic and yet, SOOO deep. Yes, it's about people banding together when having to be stuck in one locale for an indefinite amount of time. This would really happen. Sadly. What would you do?

What would you do if you woke up in a skyrise with different people, culture, races, opinions and you may never be able to leave or figure out what's going on?

This movie is scary on so many levels and I know this will haunt me for a long time. I will not spoil anything, but the time jumps had my heart skip many beats. I've seen many survival horror movies, such as any zombie movie or trapped/isolated groups inside a single location, but this one won't leave me be.

I really don't know what else to say. You're either gonna love this for its originality or hate it because on the surface, it's not a normal horror movie. I'm all about this NOT having any sequels as how they leave this is even more creepy. DO NOT try and explain this or dig deeper. Leave this as is and be completely frightened.

***

Final Thoughts: The only downfall I can think of is...I have no idea who's who in this movie. I think that's part of the point, but I'll never remember any names or characters. I might remember with subsequent viewings, however. I'm really disturbed here on how REAL this fictional movie was.

Seriously. I AM DISTURBED HERE. If you love horror, watch and absorb this. Well done, Writer/Director Guillaume Nicloux. WELL DONE.

I see a lot of horror movies and hardly 20% really frighten me. This terrified me.

I can't believe this film is from the same director who made "Cette femme-là" or "Le Poulpe" (both brilliant movies).

Since those films, Nicloux made some good or average films but never a really bad film.

Now he has!

I rarely rate a 1 on a film on IMDB, but I really can't find anything positive in "La Tour" except maybe the starting idea.

The rest doesn't deliver as it is basicaly a short movie material extended to the maximum to make a feature film.

The result is very very painfull to watch and I felt the film would never end. End credits at 1h25 were a deliverance!

It is a lazy written film, badly shot with most mediocre interpreters.

Really nothing to save here, except your time if you're reading this.

Avoid at all costs!

PS: You'd better watch "Blindness" or "The divide" if you're interested in interactions between humans during end of times.

I will be clear; this movie atmosphere reminded me strongly other French features released before the COVID plague: DANS LA BRUME, LA NUIT A DEVORE LE MONDE, or even Xavier Gens' THE DIVIDE. I insist, not the plot, but the overall atmosphere. Guillaume Nicloux used us to weird tales but not this kind. As a novelist, he wrote disturbing stories too. This movie is so far one of my favourite from him. The suburb, ghetto towers settings can make it a social film and that's not so surprising. I was stuck, glued to this story, that is never boring. A social disturbing drama that analyses the human behavior between several kinds of communities, several kinds of people. I guess the COVID plague inspired this plot; and it was not the only example since 2021, after the movie shootings resumed.