This was a hard one to quantify my thoughts as a rating. It would probably be 6.5 if they allowed half points.
I heard about this film from the AI controversy. This was not factored into my rating, and I think it's absurd. Yeah, a few still images shown for a total of four seconds of the film were generated with AI. Get over it. The people outraged and leaving one star reviews are in for a rude awakening...I digress.
Let's start with the positives. I appreciate the brevity of a 90 minute film. The first eight minute segment was a bit of an exposition dump, but I didn't mind. Other films would stretch the back story out for an hour.
This was a somewhat fresh presentation of the genre. Not as unique as some others, but still a nice break from the tedium and tropes.
Lastly, hats off to them for not relying on cheap jump scares. There were arguably a few minor ones, but mostly the horror was conveyed with tension and atmosphere. Take notes, directors. You don't have to have a head pop up and scream at the audience in every film.
As for negatives, my main grip is with how predictable the plot is. Within the first 15 minutes, it's obvious to the attentive and thoughtful viewer exactly what will happen, and why it will happen. The smaller reveals that followed were dulled, and the big reveal at the end hit with the strength of a wet noodle.
The film also lacked a certain level of polish to earn a higher rating. I know this was meant to mimic a 70s style talk show; that's not what I'm referring to. Everything from the writing to the acting was roughly average.
Overall, this is a mid film elevated slightly by the uniqueness and efficiently filling the runtime without much bloat. Definitely worth a watch, just don't expect it to be your favorite film of the year.
Review by XIIIBlockedParent2024-04-23T18:10:24Z
This was a hard one to quantify my thoughts as a rating. It would probably be 6.5 if they allowed half points.
I heard about this film from the AI controversy. This was not factored into my rating, and I think it's absurd. Yeah, a few still images shown for a total of four seconds of the film were generated with AI. Get over it. The people outraged and leaving one star reviews are in for a rude awakening...I digress.
Let's start with the positives. I appreciate the brevity of a 90 minute film. The first eight minute segment was a bit of an exposition dump, but I didn't mind. Other films would stretch the back story out for an hour.
This was a somewhat fresh presentation of the genre. Not as unique as some others, but still a nice break from the tedium and tropes.
Lastly, hats off to them for not relying on cheap jump scares. There were arguably a few minor ones, but mostly the horror was conveyed with tension and atmosphere. Take notes, directors. You don't have to have a head pop up and scream at the audience in every film.
As for negatives, my main grip is with how predictable the plot is. Within the first 15 minutes, it's obvious to the attentive and thoughtful viewer exactly what will happen, and why it will happen. The smaller reveals that followed were dulled, and the big reveal at the end hit with the strength of a wet noodle.
The film also lacked a certain level of polish to earn a higher rating. I know this was meant to mimic a 70s style talk show; that's not what I'm referring to. Everything from the writing to the acting was roughly average.
Overall, this is a mid film elevated slightly by the uniqueness and efficiently filling the runtime without much bloat. Definitely worth a watch, just don't expect it to be your favorite film of the year.