Weekly Review -- What you don't know might hurt you

This week, I am going back to my theme-based reviews and the week's theme is threats. What constitutes a threat? Is it the unknown? Is it a phobia? What can make us feel so uncomfortable as to question our environment and existence? 

The following two films handle two very different kinds of threats -- one set in an imagination-oriented milieu and the other in a realistic, contemporary space. The audience gets the same sensation from both of them, however. We feel the characters' dread and uncertainty. We feel the confusion that the characters feel. In short, we experience the two works on a deep, visceral level. This is what engaging filmmaking looks like.   


Dark Skies (2013) -- There are not too many alien abduction films that one can watch and rewatch. Matty Beckerman's Alien Abduction was a frightening and suspenseful sample of this science fiction subgenre, while Robert Lieberman's Fire in the Sky was much too graphic for a repeat viewing, to name a few examples. However, I find myself glued to the screen whenever Scott Stewart's Dark Skies is on. An effective thriller that reveals exactly what is needed when needed, it is an underrated gem, well-versed in its fright factor.

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**

The Barretts are a typical family that is currently going through some extremely strange occurrences. Laci (Keri Russell) finds the refrigerator broken into. Daniel (Josh Hamilton) sleepwalks and has no idea what happened. Their sons are also affected, with their older son losing consciousness at times and their younger seeing strange figures above his bed at night. After doing some research, Laci starts to believe that an extraterrestrial force is after her family... but how do they stop it?

The power of Dark Skies lies in its subtlety. The film does not deal in jump scares and gory details. Stewart knows how to ratchet up the tension and, by doing it gradually and utilizing moments as points of interest, gives the story credibility. Terror here is in the instances. It is the characters doing the unexpected. It is the things missing.  It is the voice of the security company dispatcher. It is in odd sounds that we know we should not be hearing. Making a friendly suburban neighborhood ominous is not an easy feat, but Stewart certainly turns it into a believable gathering spot for not-so-friendly visitors.
 
The cast makes the film relatable. Russell and Hamilton are great as a couple that does not only have to contend with life's problems, but also has a dark power surveilling their family and their home. The great J.K. Simmons appears as an alien expert and gives even more gravitas to the proceedings, if possible. Finally, Dakota Goyo and Kadan Rockett are endearing as Laci and Daniel's children, particularly given their character arcs.

Dark Skies is not a blockbuster or a manicured thriller. It is a chilling cinematic 'what if', telling a story of a family being torn apart by something so foreign and malevolent that it truly boggles the mind. Whether or not aliens exist is irrelevant. What is relevant is just how many things about the universe humanity still does not understand and likely never will.

8/10

Ratter (2015) -- Imagine being watched all day, every day. 

Imagine someone having access to your personal information and everyday routine thanks to a couple of clicks and screens. 

Imagine that you are obliviously living your life, while a stalker keeps learning more and more about you.

No, this is not a new "Black Mirror" episode. It is Branden Kramer's techno indie Ratter, which should probably be called "Rattler" based on what it can do to you if you watch it late at night... oh, who am I kidding, at any time. Make no mistake, this film is petrifying. Along with The Strangers, it is the most frightening film that I have ever seen, placing an ordinary person in the middle of an extraordinary crisis.

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Emma (Ashley Benson) has recently moved to New York City for graduate studies. Completely unbeknownst to her, her electronic devices have been hacked by a so-called ratter -- an individual that hacks into web-connected gadgets and spies on their victim. Emma goes to school, phones her parents, meets a guy she likes, gets an internship... and the hacker knows about it. Slowly but surely, he is luring Emma into his web... what comes next?

With Ratter, Kramer expands on his equally suspenseful short Webcam and the result is even more disquieting. Having the action play out from the stalker's point of view gives the film a sinister, disorienting feeling. Seeing all the crimes that he commits -- taking pictures of Emma while she is asleep and breaking into her apartment are merely two of the many unnerving intrusions -- and experiencing his reactions through his clicks is an ingenious idea on the filmmakers' part. We get to know the character without seeing him and get to see what feeds his obsession. He is fixated on a random woman and he is the only one that understands why, if he even has any comprehension of his awful acts. He could be anyone -- a friend, a stranger, a neighbor, a guy that Emma has bumped into. Sometimes it only takes one person to create chaos and the hacker manages to turn Emma's carefree life upside down within a few weeks. It makes for a voyeuristic cinematic experience and we occasionally need to turn away.

The acting is what could have made or broken this intimate shocker. Benson, of "Pretty Little Liars" fame, carries the film and gives an intense performance. She is appealing and sympathetic. Emma is just another student, just another girl, who becomes an unwitting target of a psychopath. Special mention has to go to Kaili Vernoff, whose anguished performance brings home her character's terror in a particularly horrifying scene. 

Even though they stand on two opposite sides of the horror spectrum, I cannot stop comparing Ratter to The Strangers. Both films show that there are no monsters under the bed; there are only human beings. No Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees can do what humans are capable of or what they can conceive. From physical violence to abusing technology that is meant to show our progress, people have always been their own worst enemy. In the case of Ratter, we can only hope that it is not this easy.

8/10