I am way behind on movie reviews but I assure you, I have been avidly watching them and seeking more and more to bring you great reviews. Amazon Prime has provided many interesting titles - some good, some just plain horrible. Think I might do movie Mondays where each Monday where feature a new review. Books are getting read slowly as well but obviously not as fast as movies. Let's get to the reason you're here, shall we? Movie Info:Release Date: October 23, 2018 Director: Mikey McGregor Writer: Mikey McGregor (screenplay) Studio: High Octane Pictures Major Cast: Eric Roberts, Jesse James, Clayton Snyder Genre: Horror, Thriller, Supernatural Rating: NR Running Time: 78 mins Synopsis: An adventurous group of friends dare to break into the abandoned orphanage and quickly find themselves trapped and fighting against unnatural forces. Review:The story follows a group of college students who call themselves the "Urban Explorers." At the behest of one of their group, they visit an abandoned orphanage said to have an ominous and mysterious past. They venture to said orphanage and proceed to explore it, locating a journal written by a priest dedicated to keeping the monster inside contained. It soon becomes clear the small group gets more than they bargained for when a mysterious girl with a dark secret asks them to play a game.
To begin, I enjoyed this movie. It did not commit some of the more annoying carnal sins of many of the horror movies of today. The introduction to who the characters were and what their intentions were happened quickly and then moved right into the story itself. It provided a powerful hook by introducing the antagonist first and then moving forwards in time. This is a powerful tool in the horror genre, whether you are a writer or director because it provides a promise of tension all throughout the movie. While Hide in the Light did not provide the filters I've come to enjoy in horror movies, it used tone and mood in near perfect harmony. The setting, a full night of demonic horror, primarily remained in darker shadows with just a hint of light to keep the tension of the movie constant. This is not something used in such a masterful manner and can often come off as more of a cheesy feeling than provide actual tension. In many cases it appears over-used but this movie utilized it in a way it didn't feel over-used. The characters themselves were the typical "Scooby Doo let's go check out the haunted place" group with a small twist. It became obvious in the beginning of the movie, the main character (the sister of one of the group) had a problem with her brother marrying without telling her. This, to me, came off as a fatal flaw. It became annoying since she constantly complained about him not telling her everything. None of the other characters were identifiable either which exhibited a poor example of writing. The antagonist acted and appeared more identifiable than any of the other characters. This being said, I loved the faceless terror. Though the demon obviously possessed the girl, it remained faceless, only showing an occasional claw or glowing eye. I almost wanted to know more about the antagonist herself. From what I gathered she came off as another Emily Rose character but she did indeed pull off a sense of terror on her own. If you've followed me for any length of time, you know my affinity for world-building. This is another thing Hide in the Light suffered with. All we knew about this orphanage was how a priest had everyone leave while he stayed behind to keep the demon contained. It made absolutely no sense to me as to why it remained contained long after the priest's death or why it never bothered the security guard wandering the area. The beauty of something cursed or haunted is the building or structure takes on the malevolence of the monster or ghost living inside. I wanted to know more about the building and its history. This could've easily been added in the many scenes where the characters realized they weren't escaping the demon and arguing with each other. I loved the ending. Having one of the characters realizing they were all going to die really added to the overall tone of hopelessness. She adds an entry to the priest's journal outlining how anyone who dared venture to the orphanage could hope to survive. In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie. I thought it took a popular trope and made it something familiar yet unique in its own right. I recommend it to anyone who likes the idea of the "faceless terror" and is a fan of the Exorcist or Emily Rose. Have a movie you want reviewed? Let me know! I am always on the lookout for new horror and thriller movies to review. For book reviews, go here. Want to know more about me and my non-book or movie related passions? I run a blog devoted to my passions of sustainability, conservation, gardening and general druid and Wiccan facts on The Oaken King. You can also find me on: Twitter // Instagram (Personal) // Instagram (Reviews) // Goodreads
0 Comments
|
Archives
August 2019
Categories |