Caity Lotz (looking a lot like a young Gillian Anderson) and Agnes Bruckner play estranged siblings who have had to deal with a troubled upbringing with an abusive mother. Mother has just died, and (drug-addicted) Bruckner asks Lotz to come back home for the funeral and whatnot. Unfortunately, when Lotz gets there, Bruckner (who has a young daughter) appears to be missing. Soon, a cousin also seems to have disappeared as well. And then Lotz starts to experience freaky things in the house, like some kind of malevolent ghostly presence is messing with her. So she takes to investigating things, even seeking help from a local detective (a slumming Casper Van Dien), as well as other more unorthodox investigative methods like seeking out a blind former classmate with apparent psychic/paranormal abilities. Meanwhile, she is also having trouble putting the past behind her. Are the two things related? You’ll have to watch to find out. Or not, it’s your choice.
Written and directed by Nicholas McCarthy, this 2012 horror film just wasn’t my thing. It might be up your alley (a lot of people seem to be high on it), but I found it pretty underwhelming. There are certain story elements that have a little bit of an “The Entity” vibe that I kinda liked, but it is all told in depressing fashion. There’s a really nice sense of dread and disquiet early on, but it becomes pretty one-note after a while.
The photography by Bridger Nielson (not to be confused with actress/train wreck Brigitte Nielsen) is muted and ugly, and poorly lit (darkness is fine- essential, even, but this was just poor lighting). Exteriors look like they have been shot at 4.30PM or something, which is never a good look.
The film is way too sedate and everyone seems like they’re on downers. Lead actress Caity Lotz in particular spends the entire film looking like she needs a lie down, and a little of that goes an awful long way. As a main protagonist, she’s boring as hell and a charismatic black hole. I get the gravity of the situation and all, but c’mon, wake up, people! Only the lovely Agnes Bruckner impresses and she leaves the show early. Casper Van Dien looks old and has a pointless role that ends up going nowhere. Nice to know he’s still alive, though, I guess. Was “Starship Troopers” really 15 years ago? I feel old.
Things end just as the film starts to finally heat up, completely deflating the whole thing, and the title appears to have absolutely nothing to do with anything. Nice throat-slashing and a rather novel, makeshift Ouija board were interesting, but with an ugly look and dreary characters/performances, any potential interest or fright is rendered null and void in the end, at least for me.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Fans of past trauma/ghost story type things might get something out of this, but I found it far too depressing and muted to get involved. Maybe first-timer McCarthy will do better next time, but his first outing is pretty ordinary and not scary in the slightest.
