Five Across the Eyes

I think this movie was supposed to be shocking. But the only way in which it is indeed shocking is how shocking badly it's been made ...and simply is. It's one-and-a-half hour of torment. Even more so for the viewer than for the characters in the movie (the five girls).

Sure the main characters get their bloody piece in a bad way, which is basically fine, since it's a horror-movie. And I (usually) like horror-movies. I've no problem with violence in these type of movies per se. However all the violence in this film serves no end whatsoever. It's no spectacle other than that it's simply grotesque. It's so lame it even gets boring, and really quick too.

The worst thing (if the above wasn't bad enough for ya) about this movie is that they've tried to copy the Blair Whitch Project, by filming with cheap hand-held-cameras. But (again, this too) serves no end whatsoever. In the "Blair Which", sure enough, there's an explanation, namely they are their with a camera looking for the blair witch. In this film, there's no other explanation than: "Hey ya'll we wanted this to LOOK LIKE the Blair Whitch!!" The sound in the movie is also something to get depressed about. The girls are screaming so hysterically that many a time you can't make out what they're saying. Also, no effort has been made to make anything any better, sound-wise or other wise.

Than finally, there's the soundtrack, which is just as bad as the rest, and varies from cheap euro-house to the worst grungy hard-rock...

My advise: Don't watch this under ANY circumstances.

Im really interested in low or no budget movies that provides a genuine feeling and atmosphere. The silent house is an excellent example, because despite its flaws, it offers an original atmosphere at a minuscule budget. Another film (a short film you can watch for free on youtube)that does offer a lot of emotion in a horrifying, but comically painful way is Phantom miscarriage. Five across the eyes don't really give me anything! The story is simple, a couple of young girls, get lost, bumps into a strangers car by accident and escapes. Pretty soon they are chased by a maniac woman who tries to kill them. A typical slasher story.

Its nice that the creators of this film have made an attempts to create something unique, but wiggly camera angles, bad acting, and a plot not worked through enough gives me nothing. I saw a bunch of amateur movies made by media students, while I was studying drama, and these movies ware far better. Every scene should be worked through in a good movie. The purpose for the scene, the camera angles for the scene, and the actors should have enough time to get into character no matter how bad they are. What the movie really lacks is suspense, effects that are worked through, and a feeling of realism. They had the intent to create something, but failed. Oddly enough they worked hard enough to get the movie released!

Do not waste your time watching this! Unless you want to study it for all the wrong things you shouldn't do to make a good film. I am not one to usually review a movie, but this one is personal. I wasted precious time which they cannot give back. I feel compelled to write this report to warn others not to waste their time watching this crap. If this was a student project, i would have to say not bad, but only for the first 15 min... after that it gets annoying. the screaming, the bad audio, the bad video (a good camera man could have made it much better). and yes, whats with the Blair-Witch effect? no budget? I was hoping it was going to get better, but it doesn't. Now how the hell did it deserves a 4? 2 is more fair but 1 for wasting my time! I have said my peace.

The word in the summary sums it up d'oh ;) Five girls get lost trying to find their way home, when they stop at a store to get directions they hit a parked car breaking one headlight on it, they flea the scene in fair of getting in trouble but suddenly they see one headlight coming up behind them (ooooh).

From there out everything is screaming, crying and violence when they try to get away from this crazy person who lost it because of a headlight ;), well the screaming and crying pretty much stays through the entire movie (very annoying) The movie is shot, with a cheap camera trying to make it seem "real" or "shocking" I guess, it's just embarrassing and useless though. In lack of anything better to compare it with, "Blair witch style".

The screaming and crying for pretty much the entire movie with crappy sound was over the top annoying, you literally get a headache :)

I'm sorry but this was not scary, only an annoying painful piece of crap movie.

The teenagers Isabella (Sandra Paduch), Jamie (Danielle Lilley), Melanie (Mia Yi), Caroline (Angela Brunda) and Stephanie (Jennifer Barnett) are lost in a shortcut they took in their way back home. The inexperienced Bell is driving her mother's van and is worried about the late hour. The quintet decides to stop in an isolated store to ask for directions, and Bell accidentally bumps one headlight of a parked SUV. The girls decide to leave the place and drive in the dark and lonely road trying to reach the main road. They decide to make a u-turn and they are chased by the driver (Veronica Garcia) of the SUV along a night of terror.

After the idea of "The Blair Witch Project", many filmmakers have found a way of making low-budget movies in a kind of American version of the Dogma 95, some of them engaging like the Spanish "REC" but most of them complete failures.

"Five across the Eyes" is completely amateurish film and debut of the directors, writers, cast and crew and uses the same style, with hand held camera, poor lighting and few locations. The hysteric girls are annoying, screaming and crying along the 95 minutes running time. Further, they have unreasonable silly behavior along the most loneliness road of the world, giving the chance of a maniac killer attacks them several times. This film is painful to watch, with the excessive sadism and violence, and should be shorter and shorter. The only consolation is that I have seen films worse than this one, reason for my rating. My vote is two.

Title (Brazil): "Através dos Olhos" ("Through the Eyes")