Ti West went for a different approach than his other works here, though early on in his still young career; this is a film shot on video, while most of what he does is on film, and it's done with a minimalist style which really goes slow. However, I think it works. Even West himself saws he wanted to present things in a "realistic, almost boring" way- a factor I actually think came through, only it came through well, and effectively. Not a lot happens in the movie, we don't get much in the way of 'seeing through the villain's eyes' like a lot of these types of films go for, but it's the drawn out, slow burn West employs in his other films that does the trick for me here- you wait, you wait, you wait some more, and when something finally goes bad, when someone is finally hurt, it's shocking, gripping. It happens in the middle of sentences, just how life would.
There are minimal effects here. I really enjoyed it, and one particular scene turned out not only a bit bloody, it was also heart wrenching for one of the characters. The acting, as opposed to a lot of low budget "B-grade" stuff, is actually pretty solid. I believed everyone, and it felt genuine.
Over all, I highly suggest everyone watch this- especially West fans, like myself. I finally got hold of a copy to view, and it did not disappoint. It wasn't as great as his other outings, but here I can see the growing auteur in West, who isn't afraid to try a different approach, and who isn't scared of going slow instead of balls-to-the-wall horror; his slow burns are really the epitome of the words. If you can handle waiting for a bit of action, riding a wave of tension, definitely seek this out. 8 stars out of 10. My least favourite of West's films, but still a great little indie horror flick. PLUS: an always delightful cameo treat with Larry Fessenden, one of the producers and West's own mentor in the horror world.
There are minimal effects here. I really enjoyed it, and one particular scene turned out not only a bit bloody, it was also heart wrenching for one of the characters. The acting, as opposed to a lot of low budget "B-grade" stuff, is actually pretty solid. I believed everyone, and it felt genuine.
Over all, I highly suggest everyone watch this- especially West fans, like myself. I finally got hold of a copy to view, and it did not disappoint. It wasn't as great as his other outings, but here I can see the growing auteur in West, who isn't afraid to try a different approach, and who isn't scared of going slow instead of balls-to-the-wall horror; his slow burns are really the epitome of the words. If you can handle waiting for a bit of action, riding a wave of tension, definitely seek this out. 8 stars out of 10. My least favourite of West's films, but still a great little indie horror flick. PLUS: an always delightful cameo treat with Larry Fessenden, one of the producers and West's own mentor in the horror world.