Weekly Review -- Better the devil you know

The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008) -- Oh, the lifespan of a cinematic time waster... Well, this movie makes me wonder about it, anyway, considering that I forgot about it immediately after having seen it. After a horrific incident, the titular heroine (Haley Bennett) intends to make a fresh start at a new school with the help of her father (Jake Weber) and new friends, including devoutly religious Alexis (Shanna Collins) and possible love interest Joseph (Chace Crawford). However, Molly is soon caught up in visions and hallucinations which, unbeknownst to her, are leading her toward a dark destiny... Or so they say. First of all, let me make it absolutely clear that the acting is atrocious. Bennett and Weber attempt to make the best of the lazy writing, and they do have their moments, but Crawford, AnnaLynne McCord and Nina Siemaszko are painful to watch. This particularly holds true for Crawford, whose delivery is as flat as a pancake, and Siemaszko, who shamelessly tries to channel an infamous performance from a similarly themed (but incomparably, not-belonging-in-the-same-sentence superior) movie. The writing is pulpy, brimming with clichés and pedestrian dramatics. Yes, there are a few jump scares, but hey, if you happen to be even a casual genre fan, you are going to see them coming from a mile away. The entire movie feels like a cheap hodgepodge of stories from great movies and TV shows, a few of which someone just threw into the Hollywood blender and tried to cash in on, while underestimating the audience. The ending is sudden, uninspiring and forced; still, considering the diet of reckless apathy that the younger generations are being weaned on, this ending might represent both a warning and premonition. If you truly wish to be frightened, please leave The Haunting of Molly Hartley to rest in peace, and switch on the evening news instead.

3/10