The Luring

I'd rather watch paint dry then watch this again. My husband said why do I have to be so mean... And I asked him to tell me that it wasn't that bad he goes no it was bad it was really bad... Considering that I don't think I'm being so mean. This was an hour and a half that felt like three hours of my life that I can't get back. From the writing, to the storyline to the acting it just seems like somebody had way too much time on their hands and no talent...

The Luring takes it time on screen, not rushing, so I did check it out closely, see if I'm not missing anything. Some scenes felt random, the colour changes a lot, of course I thought about symbolism, but I failed to capture it...perhaps because it was not really there. Just a shadow, a whisper, but nothing really concrete, that would come back and hit you in the head with a brick after reconsidering those particularly, weird moments.

For a horror or a psychological one, it never seems to up its game, it genuinely becomes more and more easy to anticipate what's going to happen, so you will find no spark there. Towards the end it did have a scene, so out of the blue, so bold, it really managed to make quite the impression, and it even got me thinking how much more room there was for it, or in how many other movies, such scenes could appear and just shake you from the core. But then it continued towards its conclusion, one that I saw coming for the last 30 minutes, so it was a steady, easy ride from there till the very end.

Overall, sadly, I don't feel like recommending The Luring, because it has a weak plot, slow but not in a good way development, and the ending itself falls flat. If you do decide to watch it, lower your expectations and just try to see what those out of touch moments are all about. Because even if they represent something, the ending itself is so explicit..made little sense to make the movie stuffier for such a bland finish.

Cheers!

Christopher Wells' "The Luring" is an indie psychological horror film that blends atmospheric tension with emotional depth. The story is about Garrett (Rick Irwin), who returns to his childhood vacation home in Vermont to confront a traumatic birthday from his childhood that he cannot remember. Wells crafts a moody and suspenseful narrative that relies on character development more than blood and gore. If people like suspense more than the traditional blood and guts horror usually offers, I would give this film a shot. The complex story with dark visuals will leave viewers thinking about this film after the credits roll.

First off, let me say that I don't understand the low ratings here... "The Luring" is a pretty well-made suspense film - a rarity in the genre, and for that I was EXTREMELY grateful! They are rare enough from big studios and rarer still in the indie film world. The attention-grabbing opening scene immediately engaged me, making me want to find out the rest of the story of "the cabin in the woods" - which admittedly is a standard horror film trope, but it was done so well that ...trope/schmope. I'm IN. Production value is top notch, with simple, yet effective practical effects, and the acting of the entire cast is strong. The story flows well most of the time - but as is the case with many films like this, the viewer occasionally needs to work to suspend their disbelief. The child actor (Jake Katzman) in the opening scene was particularly good. Not easy to find effective child performers, and the other kid actors were good as well. Don't want to give too much away, but there were times while I was watching where I was literally screaming at the TV for Claire (Michaela Sprague) to ditch Garrett (Rick Irwin) because...DAMN - what a whacko that character is! Then there is another character who reminded me of The Tall Man in Phantasm, and he is appropriately creepy. Also very creepy was the ultra tall clown, and I wish there was more to that subplot. Overall, There is a lot to like with this indie thriller, and director Christopher Wells' work. Recommended.

Arriving at a cabin in the woods, a man begins a journey to recollect lost memories of a traumatic incident from his past, yet the closer he gets to uncovering everything the true nature of the incident is revealed putting those around him in greater danger.

This was an okay if somewhat flawed effort. What works best in this one is the general build-up and atmosphere of something being wrong with the house. The opening flashback to the encounter as a kid is quite chilling which is quite nice, while the constant attempts at reconnection to the fateful birthday provide some fun foreshadowing as it sets up the genuinely unnerving final half that spells out the true intent of the hauntings. These are what hold this one up as this one does have some issues. The biggest problem here is the disconnect we get from the main couple who in no way, shape or form come off like a believable couple who have been together for a certain amount of time. Not only is it obvious he's a closed-off, emotionally-distant sociopath who thinks flushing the toilet while she's showering is funny and calling her attempts at connecting cheesy, they display very little chemistry or warmth together despite the excruciatingly long build-up in the first half that tries to say otherwise and gets worse the longer it goes. That brings up another flaw here in the dragged-out pace that doesn't make this one all too thrilling. In addition to the constant attempts at making us think they're a loving couple, the rest of the running time here is devoted to flashbacks about the fateful party which paint him as an even bigger selfish brat than he is as an adult. It's barely worth wanting to stick around trying to figure out the mystery at times where the focus on him being so unlikable causes these to be so boring and unwatchable. As well, the other issue here is that so much of the film's insistence on tropes and ideas for its scares and tension-building is just routine ripoffs and cliches. The focus on the balloons is obvious, while the small-town cliches including the stranger who knows too much, the secretive stranger with a score to settle and the inquisitive girlfriend who gets caught up in everything just come off as pointless as none of it's scary due to being complete cliches. Combined with a wholly confusing and underwhelming finale, this one does have some problems.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Violence and intense themes of violence-against-children.