User reviews

Is this the first time I notice the potential a movie wastes? So many horrors manage to develop a better scrip than you'd expect for a low budget production yet completely fail to deliver. Why? In my opinion so far is because sometimes, like here, the subject is overused, and has little room to wiggle. In all sincerity what more could they have covered, what is there uncharted?

I did like the premise sure, but ever since I've seen Grave Encounters, a movie that managed to shock a little through its very end, which I found to be the cherry on top, movies like this, found footage or not, are quite bound to respect the very same rules the ones before them did. Sure, I wanted it to be good, and to have fun with it, perhaps even to experience a few scares, but excepting the self satire, it brought nothing new.

It is definitely not a bad movie, but most likely you have seen it before under other names, so if you just have to check this one out as well, do it at your own risk and time. You have been warned.

Cheers!

I wish I could write something really good at this movie as the beginning was only the better part of this film, once it reaches the middle and towards the end, it kinda went downhill pretty fast., The actors are average as not one of them was the weak link acting wise, I guess they should have made it more scarier like those in the NUN / CONJURING special effects.,

anyways, I won't recommend this to someone who wants to be truly scared, I fell asleep towards the end, Yes, it's that boring!

a 4/10 for me...+ 1 for the actors performance and +1 for the beginning, it had potential

Take a 75 minute walk with your dog, do the dishes 5 times, and forget about this movie. Not worth watching or spending money on.

With the cast, I was hoping this film would be, at the very least, decent. It was not. The storyline is whack. It's actually really pretty bad. It's funny though because I get the feeling all the actors thought they were making a gem. It's not. It's better left unwatched or immediately forgotten.

Alright for a C movie. Actors aren't bad. Humor is alright. Lightning sadly is horrid. At least throughout all act 2 which should be the meaty party but sadly it turns into a rather generic ghost? possession? movie which falls flat on suspense and atmosphere.

Smartly executed with a wink and a nod to some of horror's most effective scare tactics. Thoroughly entertaining, with a great cast and script. A fun thriller on all fronts!

So, directing solid, acting jolly good, dialogue/script spot on, nice bit of humour taking the mick out of the genre, all things required to make a very good movie. However, well nothing actually happens, no jumps, no gore, no blood thirsty demonic creature vowing to gut you etc. You just wish the budget could have been stretched just that little bit more to allow some sfx. If it wasn't for the positives mentioned you'd be looking at a movie with a score of 3/10, pity, but I will look for further work by the director in the future.

Portal was a refreshing horror/thriller take on ghost hunting experience gone wrong, with solid laughs and suspense throughout. Seriously kept me entertained entire time, and normally I don't even care for horror but this had some witty fun moments. It's always nice to have that combo of horror and some humor. Really fun...definitely still had some scares too. Great performances and was shot really well. I wish I could see more from these characters. When it was over I still wanted to hang with them. Hopefully we will see more from this Director. A solid reccomend.

This is a serviceable little horror flick. Released quietly last year I was initially intrigued by the trailer, the casting of Heather Lagenkamp(Nightmare on elm st.) and childhood crush Ryan Merriman (Ring 2). The movie centers around a group of paranormal investigators trying to do legit shows but on the verge of cancellation they finally discover something real and begin to regret it. The movie doesn't bring anything new to the table but it's marginally entertaining. Sadly the films best performance comes from Lagenkamp who only shows up 15 mins before the ending and still packs one hell of a scream. As for the rest of the cast they're okay. A little more imagination and development would have benefitted this but it's still not a bad way to pass the time.

3/5

The very idea of "ghost-hunting" is such utter nonsense that I automatically have a hard time engaging with any media that plays with the notion. Like exorcism flicks, however - if a slightly different spin is put on the concept, that can make all the difference and pique my interest. Though it's not entirely successfully, I'm so very pleased that 'Portal' takes a bit different of a tack that makes this pretty fun.

Overt tropes and leaps in logic. Dialogue and story beats that are alternate between ham-handed, and sardonic and intelligent. Music cues aiding scene arrangement to build tension and release it with cheeky, fun inversion of expectations. Unnecessary shots of "creepy" children's toys and innocuous house features. This is all done with clear intention to supply the great punch of 'Portal': not horror, but comedy. The film pointedly mocks ghost-hunting with wry, stone-faced satire that pokes at every unconvincing scrap of hokum the genre dallies with - both TV shows, and movies that self-seriously operate in the same space. This is especially true in the first half, which one wishes were more representative of the picture as a whole: in the latter half, 'Portal' turns marginally more serious to emphasize plot, and in so doing the film becomes a little uneven.

Still, despite being a tad inconsistent - and maybe a little too self-aware at points - this is so much fun! The filming location is choice. I think the special effects look good, and other details like hair, makeup, and wardrobe are given fine consideration. I enjoy Corey Allen Jackson's score, both in and of itself and for the boost it gives to the cutting tone of the film. And I think the whole cast is super, with special commendations for Heather Langenkamp and Gregory Zaragoza - demonstrating poise and force of personality as level-headed interlopers who find the "ghost-hunters" in dire straits - and for Najarra Townsend, who illustrates (within the limits the screenplay gives her) range, physicality, and nuance that I know she carries so well.

It may seem like a small thing, but I must deduct another point of regard from the film's success for the unsightly use of neo-Nazi paraphernalia to adorn Zaragoza the first time we meet his character. I assume that that choice was fiercely ironic, but it's unwelcome one way or the other. It's an unfortunate inclusion that plants a solid red flag and somewhat sullies my enthusiasm.

Yet whatever its deficiences, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The slant it takes will turn off some viewers, nevermind that its approach to the humor is so dry and earnest that it could easily be mistaken for a serious horror flick executed poorly. But if one is willing and able to engage with the movie for what it is, 'Portal' is a wonderfully funny, entertainment lampoon of one of the most dubious sides of the horror genre. Definitely worth checking out if you come across it!

Well normally a 3 star rates movie is just that, but in this case it surprised me, bit wierd bit strange but an enjoyable movie.

Hi. I'm a fan of both horror films, and the found footage/mockumentary format, and my reviews reflect that.

This wasn't as bad as some reviewers suggest. Lets just assume this isn't up for the Oscars and move on from there.

The two leads were relatively strong, particularly Jamie Tisdale. For the first half it was pretty much all on them and they did pretty well with it. Myk Watford brought some Cajun fresh air to the show.

The script was nothing blazingly original for fans of the genre, still it put its own twist on it and that's admirable.

It was nice to see Heather Langenkamp, most notably from the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies, and that's where the film really finds it's footing and it's pace.

As always with these, if you're looking for something of the level of "Get Out" then you'll leave the film wanting. However, if you've enjoyed films like Hell House LLC, or Savageland then you'll probably find enough in this movie to keep entertained and engaged, even though the quality doesn't necessarily rise to the level of those films.

On the whole, there were enough interesting hooks and character business to keep my attention and entertain me for the runtime of the film.

Pretty good acting, other than that nothing memorable about it.