Oh Hell Yeah!
Just when the horror genre appears somewhat stale and stagnant a film like this is what's required. I'm not saying this is a brilliant movie, far from it, but it's a leap in the right direction.
So you get the obligatory horror opening sequence, which lets you know what happened in the apartment block. Though, I think this would have been better revealed slowly through the film and story. But hey, we're a now, Now, NOW, society as this movie actually illustrates. So we are witnesses to a kind of exorcism. Though, as we progress you become more unsure of what they were trying to exorcise. In the present day, a group of school kids decide to enter the rundown and abandoned building. They want to "live-stream" their spooky adventures and boost their likes. Though once in the building things start to go wrong when they find some ancient papers. One of which contains the spell to open the portal to the other realm.
Now here's the thing, the writer-director, Kimo Stamboel is a little too vague as to where the portal opens too. For me, it looks like the land of the dead. Where some form of witches or daemons resides. Clarifying these points would have made for a stronger story and film. All the daemon or witch requires is her Kriss back. Why? What's so important about the dagger? Again, unanswered. I like mysteries though a few suggestions towards the answers would have made for a stronger story.
Another drawback is the characters. They are quite stereotypical. The perfect girl and her friend. The hunk. The fool or joker of the pack. The quiet nerdy one. And the shy girl heroine who finds the strength to become their saviour. Each of these is portrayed well by the actors and actresses. However, more activity between them to build relationships wouldn't have gone amiss. At times, they feel like they're standing still waiting for somebody to say their lines before they can move. This adds a stiltedness to the film.
Well, that reads like I don't want you to watch this film. Nothing could be further from the truth. You're just forearmed.
What Stamboel gives you is a great romp through this darker realm. I liked the way one of the Daemons or Witches uses the Perfect girl like a doll. She hovers her in midair as she brushes her hair and changes her clothes. To these beings, we are little more than playthings. It's an eerie sight but progresses into a nice action sequence. Then there's the escape sequence towards the end of the film where everybody gets thrown about... and, boy, do they get thrown.
The best part of this for me though is the girls. No matter what happens the phones never stop filming. These women know how to make a movie - not like the snot-sniveller in Blair Witch.
One of the better ideas within the story was the use of the camera's flash. I will have to ask, however, what phone does she have because that battery life is freaking awesome. Not only is it recording most of the time it also uses the flash over a hundred times. Though the scenes are exciting and keep you from noticing this until later in the story. Another idea would have been to have the nerd-guy carry a couple or three power-banks.
This is a breath of fresh air in a stagnating pool of horror. If you would like something different in your horror sandwich then I would highly recommend this slice film. Though it could have been stronger and better scripted what you have is a decent and enjoyable movie. And being totally honest, I will probably watch this film again... it may even make it onto my Guilty Pleasures list.
I just hope that in the next film by Stamboel the subject matter is rendered a bit fuller and the directing shows the imagination his writing does.
