It is what it says it is
The film sets the tone immediately by sharing super 8
footage of a family, heads covered in sacks, about to be hung from a tree. An
unseen force cuts a limb that acts as a counterweight, sending them all to
their deaths. It is brief, brutal, and not near as disturbing as what awaits
audiences.
Fast forward to the Oswalt family, who is moving into the
same house as the murdered family.
Ellison (the father) has not shared this information with his family and
local authorities are far from pleased to see him covering a local unsolved
crime for fear of making them look incompetent; both providing a great platform
for characterization and future conflict. It is a simple and common element
(father hiding important facts), but realistically delivered by the actors and
effective in this story.
As Ellison begins his research, he discovers a box of super
8 reels in the attic. Each reel is titled deceptively as if a different home
movie (Family BBQ, Pool Party, etc.), but as Ellison watches he (as well as the
audience) is horrified to discover gruesome murders of families over the last
40 years. I will refrain from giving too much detail, but will say that if you
were disturbed by the footage in The Ring or unnerved by “found footage” movies
like Paranormal Activity then you will be shaken to the core by what is on
these reels. The mix of music, lighting, and the events that take place are
truly frightening. Oh…my…those families.
During one of his private viewings of the reel marked "Pool Party", Ellison notices a figure
lurking underwater. Its face is barely human
and the fact that it walks calmly under the surface, not needing air, adds to
its mystery. From here, the Oswalts’ begin to experience strange behavior of
their son and daughter as well as unexplained footsteps, the super 8 projector
having a mind of its own, and an inability to escape an evil that is
insinuating itself into their lives.
This movie moves at a perfect pace for horror, is smart
enough to call itself a mystery, and contains actors that are savvy enough to
sell drama. What humor there is in the film comes mostly from a character
named “Deputy So-And-So” (dubbed by Ellison after a funny exchange between
them). That kind of levity was just enough to bring a chuckle, without ruining
the suspense at any time. The film never lets you forget that it is a horror
movie. There is a point when the movie becomes a bit too heavy on the
exposition for my tastes and a little gimmick towards the end of the movie
(when we get too see more of the “home movies”) could have been
omitted. The editing could have been tighter and revealed less. With the rest
of the movie being so strong, I felt it did not need the kind of ending it had.
I hesitate to provide much more of the plot for several
reasons. One, it really must be experienced with a freshness to achieve a
greater effect. Secondly, there are a couple of twists that really push that
final nail into the coffin before the movie is laid to rest. It’s a clever and
crafty film, with a score that made me fearful of even leaving the movie theater
(as I did not want my back to the screen). I have rarely enjoyed a horror film containing
a well-known actor like Ethan Hawke (Hide and Seek with Robert DeNiro was awful), but this was well worth the money, the
nightmares, and the popcorn that I ate feverishly to comfort myself.
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