Charismata

Actually wanted to like 'Charismata', and yes there was the intention to judge the film for myself after watching it and even more intention to judge it fairly. Both have always been the case with me when it comes to reviewing a film. The idea was attention-grabbing, psychological horror has worked brilliantly numerous times on film and it didn't look too bad, so there was potential.

Potential that could have been lived up to far more. 'Charismata' was not a waste of time but it is a long way from a must watch from personal opinion. Didn't regret watching it and didn't find that my intelligence was insulted, something that cannot be said for some other films seen recently, it just doesn't come together as much as it could have done.

Lets start with the good things. 'Charismata' is very promising in its early stages, it does draw one right in, sets things up promisingly and has an eerie vibe. It's a decent looking film, with the setting giving off the right amount of unease and the photography has atmosphere, the bleakness suiting the tone of the film well. The music is haunting and not too obvious or intrusive.

Generally the acting was better than average and even quite good from some, few over-compensate and nobody looks uncomfortable or robotic. Sarah Beck Mather carries the film beautifully. There are some welcome moments of levity, some creepy unsettling atmosphere and the questioning of Faraway's sanity moments were intriguing and suspenseful.

However, while the characters don't annoy mostly there could have been much more development to them. Jamie Satterthwaite's character came over as a caricature and it grated at times like when we first meet him. The script is an overload of awkwardness and the direction is at best lethargic. The low budget does frequently show, especially in the less than polished though thankfully not overused visual effects. 'Charismata's' biggest issue is the story. There is not enough tension, suspense or dread, with the scares infrequent and more often than not are rather routine and obvious.

'Charismata' is dull too often despite starting off so well, with less prolonged pauses that just stalled everything and some scenes that could have been shorter or even trimmed. The psychological element does intrigue to begin with but lacks surprises and there are moments where it's vague and silly. The writers should have come up with an better ending than the pointless cop-out not-knowing-how-to-end-the-film-like one in the film and the build-up to it was silly.

In conclusion, has good things but doesn't come together. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Sometimes you have the most fun through accidental circumstances. I admit I watched this because I was forced by a friend who usually has very bad taste! I hope he is reading this. Maybe he has found me one of my favorites of the year.

English detectives chase a killer that may or may not be a demon. Can you guess the twist?

Sometimes obvious but also very good fun. Lots of black humor and a heavy creepy atmosphere throughout with strong surrealism. Strong Argento and Bava influences in presentation. If you are a fan you will love this.

The London location is cool. The villain is very entertaining and old school diabolical! I have lived and worked in London and I tell you both are accurate! Haha.

I watched this in America but can't find anywhere in Germany. What gives? I think this would play very well here and England is a lot closer than New York. Also, I want to watch it again when I am not drunk to make sure I enjoyed it as much as I did. It's one of those !

Even though there is probably no genre I watch more of, I do not expect too much from my low budget horror. Horror is almost a comfort blanket for me. Lots of time it's background ambiance. That might sound a bit sick and twisted but it's rare I sit up and pay attention to a low budget horror that hasn't been heavily publicized beforehand. There is just so much of it that in some ways I have become desensitized. Generally speaking I tune in and zoom out. So did Charismata make me sit up? Almost.

Charismata suffers from many of the usual pitfalls of the genre. This includes cheap and cheesy CGI and uneven acting. Crucially it is always engaging and excels in two important places.

First Sarah Beck Mather. Playing a British detective losing her mind as she investigates a murder, she is nothing short of sensational. I don't know how well known she is in the UK but I hope to see more of her in the US in the future. The other performances are not bad on the whole. Just more in keeping with what you expect from the genre. The lead though is fantastic and it's not hyperbole to say it is one of the best performances I have seen all year. A star is born. Or at least deserves to be.

Second. Apart from a strange misstep this is one of the best written horror films I have seen in some time. The dialogue sings and while there is nothing entirely original here I was still left guessing until the end.

The most important question when assessing a horror film is it scary?

Sadly, not really. There is an interesting lurid tone, a couple of average jump scares but noting made my skin crawl or my heart race. I would hesitate to even call it a horror. It's much closer to a murder mystery or a quirky Cohen brothers drama set in England. It reminded me more of A Barton Fink or Fargo than it did a Conjuring or Hereditary. This is not a bad thing. In fact it can be taken as a compliment. Just don't pretend it's something that it isn't.

6/10 if you are going in wanting a low budget horror fix.

8/10 if you just want an usual and entertaining movie.

In an absolute vacuum, with no other reviews or movies to go on, this gets a 9/10 easily.

The acting is very good, the film is well made and there are bits of humor throughout.

I'm really tough on movies and I thoroughly enjoyed Charismata as a great way to pass a Saturday afternoon.

A rookie female detective cracks under the pressure of dealing with a constant stream of misogyny from her douchey colleagues while hunting an occultist serial killer who turns his supernatural(?) powers against her. I enjoyed this.

The good

Like the other Brit film Kill List from a few years ago, there is a weird, gritty-yet-off-kilter vibe running all the way through this. Like David Lynch directed an episode of Cops, but in England. I liked.

Sarah Beck Mather is just superb as the lead. One of the best female horror leads in a while. In the first scenes she looked as bitchy as the men, but you soon see that this is a shield she puts up and she's already close to cracking.

The bad

Pacing problem. The first part was very slow and the gloriously fun last part seemed rushed. If they took 10 minutes from the start and added 10 to the end then the movie might have been outstandingly good.

The ugly

After using some really effective practical effects for most of the run time, the last minute was full of schlocky low budget horror CGI.

Overall. Not quite as good as Kill List, but still pretty good and well worth your time.