Actually wanted to like 'Charismata', and yes there was the intention to judge the film for myself after watching it and even more intention to judge it fairly. Both have always been the case with me when it comes to reviewing a film. The idea was attention-grabbing, psychological horror has worked brilliantly numerous times on film and it didn't look too bad, so there was potential.
Potential that could have been lived up to far more. 'Charismata' was not a waste of time but it is a long way from a must watch from personal opinion. Didn't regret watching it and didn't find that my intelligence was insulted, something that cannot be said for some other films seen recently, it just doesn't come together as much as it could have done.
Lets start with the good things. 'Charismata' is very promising in its early stages, it does draw one right in, sets things up promisingly and has an eerie vibe. It's a decent looking film, with the setting giving off the right amount of unease and the photography has atmosphere, the bleakness suiting the tone of the film well. The music is haunting and not too obvious or intrusive.
Generally the acting was better than average and even quite good from some, few over-compensate and nobody looks uncomfortable or robotic. Sarah Beck Mather carries the film beautifully. There are some welcome moments of levity, some creepy unsettling atmosphere and the questioning of Faraway's sanity moments were intriguing and suspenseful.
However, while the characters don't annoy mostly there could have been much more development to them. Jamie Satterthwaite's character came over as a caricature and it grated at times like when we first meet him. The script is an overload of awkwardness and the direction is at best lethargic. The low budget does frequently show, especially in the less than polished though thankfully not overused visual effects. 'Charismata's' biggest issue is the story. There is not enough tension, suspense or dread, with the scares infrequent and more often than not are rather routine and obvious.
'Charismata' is dull too often despite starting off so well, with less prolonged pauses that just stalled everything and some scenes that could have been shorter or even trimmed. The psychological element does intrigue to begin with but lacks surprises and there are moments where it's vague and silly. The writers should have come up with an better ending than the pointless cop-out not-knowing-how-to-end-the-film-like one in the film and the build-up to it was silly.
In conclusion, has good things but doesn't come together. 4/10 Bethany Cox
