So you might've heard of this new film by Adam Green and gotten really excited with the talk of practical creature effects and being based on the work of an artist named Alex Pardee, an artist known for his fantastical and disturbing paintings of monsters. Every inch of my horror fan self wanted to love this film, but sadly it left me disappointed.
It's not a bad film by any means, and there are many good aspects about it. The basic set up is Adam Green plays himself in a "mock-umentary" style setup in which a very eccentric fan named William Dekker sends him a journal detailing how he discovered real monsters. Since Adam always wanted proof all his life that monsters actually exist, he decides to meet the fan and document his findings on film. I'm one who enjoys interesting approaches in films, and the whole "meta" type plot of Adam making a documentary is done pretty well. While I've read a critic talking about how self indulgent it was, I never personally got that vibe especially since his problems seem relateable in that his now hectic work schedule gets in the way of chasing his dreams.
Though Adam does take center stage, it's Ray Wise who steals the show as William Dekker. If you're a fan of Twin Peaks you know him as Lelund Palmer, and that he is great at playing a man driven delightfully mad by extreme circumstances, and here he doesn't disappoint. Every time he is on screen he looks as if he is about to crack or that his secrets will come to surface, and also hope that when either happens the other characters are at a safe distance. And of course I can't forget to mention every horror appreciator's bread and butter, practical effects. The designs are great and for the most part look amazing. But therein lies my first problem, I wanted more.
Now most of the time I wouldn't log that as a legitimate complaint, but I honestly think this is a part of the movie's bigger issue. As I mentioned, I wanted this to be great and I racked my brain wondering why a movie that's been pretty well crafted felt mediocre after the last scene. I think these are one of those cases of a poor setup, but great execution. The plot's slow pacing is one of its biggest downfalls, and while that isn't detriment if used correctly, such as Ti West's Innkeepers, here it really feels like needless padding. With movies like Innkeepers, the mystery is slowly revealed and tension is built as you aren't sure if the creepy occurrences are real or imagined. Whether it was a oversight in marketing the great effects or just a poor writing choice, you know what's up from the get go and that monsters are real. Though they did a good job of building a mysterious past surrounding the Dekker character ripe with questions that are left only to audience interpretation, I feel a bit cheated in a film billed with great creatures that only shows them after our main characters spend 3/4th's of the run-time bringing the plot to fruition.
If the build-up was cut down, or if we got a bit more of a gradual reveal though-out the film, I think it would have turned out much better. But what we have is a movie that indeed has some great creative creatures, but if you were hoping for modern Nightbreed, a film that clearly inspired this, then you'll be disappointed such as I.
Though ultimately I think this was mediocre at best, maybe I'm just a whiny fan who wanted more "monster stuff" to happen, who knows? Let me know what you think, and/or if you've come across any good horror flicks recently new or old, shout them out.
It's not a bad film by any means, and there are many good aspects about it. The basic set up is Adam Green plays himself in a "mock-umentary" style setup in which a very eccentric fan named William Dekker sends him a journal detailing how he discovered real monsters. Since Adam always wanted proof all his life that monsters actually exist, he decides to meet the fan and document his findings on film. I'm one who enjoys interesting approaches in films, and the whole "meta" type plot of Adam making a documentary is done pretty well. While I've read a critic talking about how self indulgent it was, I never personally got that vibe especially since his problems seem relateable in that his now hectic work schedule gets in the way of chasing his dreams.
Though Adam does take center stage, it's Ray Wise who steals the show as William Dekker. If you're a fan of Twin Peaks you know him as Lelund Palmer, and that he is great at playing a man driven delightfully mad by extreme circumstances, and here he doesn't disappoint. Every time he is on screen he looks as if he is about to crack or that his secrets will come to surface, and also hope that when either happens the other characters are at a safe distance. And of course I can't forget to mention every horror appreciator's bread and butter, practical effects. The designs are great and for the most part look amazing. But therein lies my first problem, I wanted more.
Now most of the time I wouldn't log that as a legitimate complaint, but I honestly think this is a part of the movie's bigger issue. As I mentioned, I wanted this to be great and I racked my brain wondering why a movie that's been pretty well crafted felt mediocre after the last scene. I think these are one of those cases of a poor setup, but great execution. The plot's slow pacing is one of its biggest downfalls, and while that isn't detriment if used correctly, such as Ti West's Innkeepers, here it really feels like needless padding. With movies like Innkeepers, the mystery is slowly revealed and tension is built as you aren't sure if the creepy occurrences are real or imagined. Whether it was a oversight in marketing the great effects or just a poor writing choice, you know what's up from the get go and that monsters are real. Though they did a good job of building a mysterious past surrounding the Dekker character ripe with questions that are left only to audience interpretation, I feel a bit cheated in a film billed with great creatures that only shows them after our main characters spend 3/4th's of the run-time bringing the plot to fruition.
If the build-up was cut down, or if we got a bit more of a gradual reveal though-out the film, I think it would have turned out much better. But what we have is a movie that indeed has some great creative creatures, but if you were hoping for modern Nightbreed, a film that clearly inspired this, then you'll be disappointed such as I.
Though ultimately I think this was mediocre at best, maybe I'm just a whiny fan who wanted more "monster stuff" to happen, who knows? Let me know what you think, and/or if you've come across any good horror flicks recently new or old, shout them out.