kile_katarn

I wasn't against the idea of a non-found footage REC movie, so I didn't come into this film without much in the way of preconceptions or prejudice. The movie is well-shot, the FX are great, the acting is also pretty good. And that's where the good ends.

The idea was there, but it wasn't at all developed. The screenplay is stale, the dialog is boring, even when good actors are saying it. There is a plot, but there's no attempt at investing the viewers into it. The characters are also boring, have no arcs, and you can't even call them cliché'd or stereotyped, as there practically isn't any characterization behind them. They make weird choices without any semblance of motivation, and end up being just cannon fodder to the zombies. Speaking of which..

The zombies aren't scary. They aren't creepy, they aren't menacing, they're just.. There. This is basically what all the points in the previous paragraph culminate into - if you're not invested in the characters/plot, you won't be invested in the threat, no matter how well done the latter is. What made REC and REC 2 zombies scary is nowhere to be found in this movie. Just skip it.

It's unbelievable how much flaws this movie has, from acting to script to editing, but how amazingly it all works together to create such an enjoyable experience. It's not unintentionally bad-turned-amazing. This was an intentionally crafted weird, disjointed, bizzare film, which could please both "The Room" fans and "uninitiated" viewers if they can suspend all their expectations as to what a movie is and delve into the characters, surprisingly complicated plot and overall psychidelic tone and atmosphere of this movie.

P.S. If you're gonna shoot - shoot, don't talk.

I surely was caught off-guard by this feature. It was a very very enjoyable watch for me. Let's get the technical standpoint out of the way: The cinematography was quite stunning, the film is beautifully shot, both with gorgeous wide shots and intimate close-ups. The editing was shoty at times, but overall good. Even the shoty parts one could argue add to the bizzare atmosphere. Acting was.. Well, more hit-or-miss than the editing. The actors give passable-to-good performances.

Except for Tommy. Tommy is the most amazing of them all (no joke, no irony, pure honesty), and exactly because he plays himself - a very bizarre, weird, almost alien person, who can be gullible and intelligent at the same time, and still feel relatable and believable. This is not Johnny from The Room, where the actor is trying to be serious and fails miserably. This is the same actor playing pretty much the same role, but owning the role, owning himself and being overall amazingly fun and investing to watch. The story is surprisingly engaging. If this was any movie I'd say the script needs work, as there are a few "eh" moments, a few out of place lines, etc., but in this one all these quirks contribute to the style, which, even if unintentional, exists and I adored it.

Overall, expect a reimagining of the bizarre style of The Room, but this time done (I think) intentionally, and done right. It probably won't become such a cult phenomenon as The Room, but it gets damn near close to its potential.