The Bay

This isn't your average, run of the mill low budget "found footage" or "suppressed footage" horror film. The budget is large and the acting is spot on for what is needed to tell the tale. Think of this more as a ecological disaster/thriller than a straight horror film. Reminds me of the nature run amok sub genre films of the late seventies and early eighties. Without any preaching about how we are destroying the environment. As the story unfolds, the tension mounts as does the fear and dread. The horror is amplified by the constant reminder that everything presented here could actually happen or has happened. In fact mid-way through I kept wondering if there was an actual tragedy that this film was loosely based upon. All told the film is well paced, competently shot with solid acting and makes full use of the "found footage" style. Highly recommended for both horror fans and the occasional horror film watcher.

At first, when I saw that it was one of those films made with footage from web cams and handhelds, I cursed the found footage genre and was ready to be disappointed. After watching it, I must say I am glad I did and that people responsible for the low IMDb rating didn't really watch the movie.

The truth is that this is not really a found footage film, but a documentary type of horror. The premise is that some government secreted video footage has leaked to someone who montaged them in order to show "what really happened". And what happened is a biological outbreak. The film is trying to be realistic and it manages to do that, while the slow pace that some accused works perfectly for the film's ultimate and terrifying outcome.

Bottom line: I will keep this film in my permanent collection. I don't know what people that rated it 1 smoked, but it was probably infested by parasites :-) It may also have been the setting for me: a slow night with no one around, perfect for watching horror. If you are tired of dumb monster movies and boring killer in the woods crap, this is the film for you.

Creature feature meets Found Footage. This is a little gem and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Pleasantly surprised. Worth far more than it's 5.something IMDb rating. A strong 7/10. Horror fans will like. Not your usual crud. My only criticism is that it didn't quite give me the redemptive conclusion that I craved.

I'm not a huge fan of "found footage" films, but I liked this one.

BUT not every horror/thriller fan will like this film, so if your cup of tea is more of a shock and awe or an adrenaline pumping, blood gushing, gore spewing kind; you maaaaay want to skip this one.

What IS this movie? I'm not going to go into the storyline detailing, since a lot of reviews are already doing that. Instead, I'll tell you what kind of movie it is, in my own amateurish opinion.

This movie will appeal to the type of audience who likes to try new spins of old concepts. The movie does not have a lot of action, and it only has a bit of blood and gore, but it has its own charm. In the sense that it makes you think about possibilities, in general.

Granted, I thought it missed a lot of opportunities for scares, it still came out good and a convincing sample of FF. Maybe they didn't want to go for the "cheap scares" approach, which I have to admire them for, but the story did lack some substance. Still, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to friends.

I'm not sure how this is rated only in the 5's, but this is definitely one of the better found footage films, one of the only few that actually make you forget it's a movie rather than a documentary. If you're into this style of horror, definitely recommend.