Letterboxd Presents: Found Footage Fridays
Familiar to a fault and a bit too repetitive for its own good, DISTORT still manages to deliver an engaging and surprisingly unique take on the classic formula (the almost analog horror approach is quite nice) that perhaps could have used a bit more time and bit better of a script; mainly an actual finale.
Letterboxd Presents: Found Footage Fridays
First and foremost, Urban Exploration is always going to be inherently creepy to me; it is such untapped territory within the subgenre that needs to be explored (no pun intended) more.
That being said, URBEX does a great job at showcasing the unease that comes with the hobby (this location is great) while also managing to be genuinely creative with its own horror elements. Sure, our lead having some (or any) personality would have gone a long way, but as it stands, URBEX is an effective little chiller worthy of your time.
Loaded with a substantial amount of charismatic and engaging characters (Combs and Thornton are easily the standouts), a fun and kinetic energy (this film does not feel like its over two hours), and some truly great practical effects from Leone (tic-tac-toe anyone?), STREAM makes great use of both its cast and its crew (all of which are clearly having a blast here) to deliver quite possibly one of the most crowd-pleasing and most entertaining horror films of the year.
Oh, and…
I did not see that coming..
Jokes aside, Leigh Whannell should be very proud of himself here. He managed to make an almost 100 year old story feel relevant, powerful, and above all, important.
Smart, masterfully crafted, and actually frightening, Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man a shining example of horror done right.
