proartdirector

Resubmitting: I was so excited and looking forward to seeing this because I am a very picky horror fan, not the gory type with jump scares but something that is ingenious and atmospheric. So when the Globe and Mail reported that this is a viral sensation, that some people claim that it's the scariest film that they had seen, that in terms of ROI, it could be compared to the Blair Witch Project ($15,000 budget, $1.5 million in box office); that in terms of pace and technique, it could be compared to Wavelength by Michael Snow - I was expecting this to be clever and original, despite its low budget. It was a disappointment. Other than some Surreal moments, almost abstract cropped shots, and flipped points of view (nothing that I had not seen before), the film is just made up of repetitively similar visual compositions, audio effects, dialogues, and crudely edited transitions. There was nothing that led to any original or unique interpretations or truly scary moments. If it is to be compared to an art film, it is not; and if it's to be placed as a bone-chilling, scary, supernatural horror flick, it is not either. What it is though could have been the result of a well-timed, manipulated viral promotional technique, i.e. A meme. It was sadly a waste of my time and I doubt if I would change my opinion years later, realizing that I had missed the ingenuity and artistry of a brilliant idea.

This is no Ben Hur or Lawrence of Arabia but I find myself watching this movie again and again when I don't know what I want to watch that night. I believe I must have watched it 10 times already and I know that I'll still watch it again. Based on this phenomenon alone, I have raised my rating to 9. The editing is quite good too and the art direction is well planned especially the colours. The main characters are not perfect but they both have guts and a softer, finer side. The more I watch this movie, the more I realize that I'm drawn to the characters' authentic personalities and the chemistry between them. They don't fit the Hollywood "handsome" or "gorgeous" moulds but I find them attractive and charismatic. And what can I say, I just love movies where the women can fight back!