Weekly Review -- A ghost of a film

Blair Witch (2016) -- Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez's The Blair Witch Project was a worldwide phenomenon. The simple story about three student filmmakers finding terror in a haunted forest proved to be a juggernaut, both commercially and critically. Its success revolutionized the found footage subgenre and turned the indie industry upside down.

Well, the new iteration does not. At its best, it is a copy of the original and not an effective one at that. At its worst, it is a jumbled narrative that tries to pepper the proceedings with new kinds of developments but, much like its characters, ends up going around in circles. 

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS HUGE SPOILERS**

Twenty years after Heather, Joshua and Michael disappeared, Heather's brother James (James Allen McCune) finds a YouTube video showing someone that he believes is his sister. Along with a few friends and the couple that posted the video, James heads off into the Black Hills Forest to look for possible clues. However, they are not ready for what they find...

"After 16 years, the scariest ghost story ever told finds its conclusion", claims the tagline. Eh... there really is no conclusion here. The incredible thing about this film is that it follows the original to the letter. I am not exaggerating when I say that the same plot points occur in both films at exactly the same moments. Sure, there have to be some millennium updates, such as drones and YouTube, but they do not change a thing in terms of plot. It is surprising, considering that director Adam Wingard brought us The Guest, one of the most unique thrillers in recent years. By the way, are those scenes with the characters watching the drone fly off bizarre and unnecessary, or is it just me?  This device could have been used in a more compelling manner -- for example, Lisa discovering some kind of void or different landscape in lieu of the trees would have been more unexpected and disorienting.

Another update that I find redundant is the video technology itself. Part of what made the original so chilling was the grainy quality of the majority of the 'footage'. Something about those stick figures in rough, worn out black-and-white stays with the viewer and the same can be said of seeing Rustin Parr's cabin and that basement for the first time. These recordings looked real; they had a texture that was essential to the atmosphere. Blair Witch misses that aspect, to the detriment of its potency as a horror piece. Seeing the witch herself is not the point. Seeing her power is and that power creates the best scene, when a tent gets lifted to impossible heights. If Wingard had utilized more of the invisible terror offered, he would have had a new take on the story. The witch has settled in our imagination already, so please leave our imagination to do its sacred work.

The cast does what they can with the cliché script. After her excellent turn in "The Following", I was sad to see Valorie Curry reduced to a few scenes of bland dialogue. Robinson is quite good as the driven-to-madness Lane and McCune elicits empathy with James's quest. Again, though, there is nothing new about the characters. There is nothing here that you have not seen before and the cast is unable to elevate the material.

If you love the horror genre, you will not be satiated if you see Blair Witch. I cannot emphasize enough how derivative this film is. It is not so much a sequel or reboot as it is a virtual remake, not even bothering to search for its own ground to cover. Rewatch the 1999 original or, if you would like to check out some other fantastic ghost stories, please see Peter Medak's The Changeling or the Pang brothers' The Eye. Your sleepless nights will thank you. 

5/10

Trailerblazing -- XX

XX -- February 17, 2017 -- directed by Roxanne Benjamin, Sofia Carrillo et al. -- starring Melanie Lynskey, Sheila Vand, Mike Doyle, Natalie Brown, Angela Trimbur

Female directors are a rare commodity in horror cinema. There have been impressive entries by directors such as Rachel Talalay (Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare), Kathryn Bigelow (Near Dark), Mary Harron (American Psycho) and Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), but, overall, women filmmakers have not been given many opportunities in this genre. Along comes an anthology that should represent a major step in changing this sad state of affairs, showcasing four tales that look and feel like major creepfests. "The Box" somehow reminds me of the "Need to Know" episode from the 1980s "The Twilight Zone" revival, while "The Birthday Party" looks like it came straight out of "Black Mirror". Who is the zombie-like woman? What is in the box? The stories offer interesting questions and, without a doubt, fascinating twists. The cinematography in each of the segments is grim and expressive and the cast seems well chosen. I am looking forward to this collection.   

Weekly Review -- The clearest of visions

Solace (2015) -- There has not been an intriguing serial killer film in years. Apart from the Saw atrocities and engaging works like Zodiac, the subgenre has mostly taken a leave of absence. Enter Afonso Poyart's Solace, an unfairly underrated thriller with a great cast, some unexpected twists and developments that will leave you thinking for days.

Detective Joe Merriwether (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his partner, Dr. Katherine Cowles (Abbie Cornish), are on the trail of a killer who has already claimed three victims. Desperate for clues, Joe calls his old colleague John Clancy (Anthony Hopkins), a clairvoyant doctor who became a recluse following a family tragedy. As Clancy gets familiar with the case and reviews evidence, he realizes that the killer, Charles Ambrose (Colin Farrell), is an even more powerful psychic...

The visual style of Solace is unique and a perfect fit for the story. From Clancy's multiple visions of the players to the morbidly stylistic crime scenes, the film reminded me of Tarsem Singh's The Cell on occasion, particularly with crimson and neons dominating the palette. I love the idea of flashbacks and visions as pieces of a puzzle and I am glad that Poyart does not hand everything to the audience on a silver platter. He does not make assumptions about the characters and the narrative; rather, he subverts our expectations and steers us from what we think we know. The moral dilemma that Poyart places in the centre of the story -- one that I am not going to spoil for anyone -- adds a thoughtful dimension. This element and the visual effects make the film dip into surrealism and it is due to these aspects that this is not a by-the-numbers crime thriller.

The cast is well chosen. Hopkins traverses the line between pure hurt and pure determination. Clancy has been through a lot, with his powers being an obvious nightmare at times, and Hopkins examines his melancholy while finding the intellect that the case requires. Morgan is steady and reliable as Joe and his last scene is truly remarkable to watch. Cornish's character barely does anything except philosophize about her experience and the case, which is a shame because Cowles and Clancy's dialogues are fascinating. The two characters share a love of science, yet Clancy's viewpoint is enhanced by his clairvoyance, a trait that Cowles is sharply skeptical of. This connection should have been explored further, since it could have made for the crux of the film. As Ambrose, Farrell shows us his villainous side and it is a side that should be given more chances to shine. Ambrose is sleek, his psychosis sophisticated in its conviction, and Farrell plays his contradictions to perfection. 

Solace is a predicament of the highest caliber and a riddle for the viewer to solve. The humanity of the questions that it poses is matched by the symbolism of the murders, layering the story and creating a distinct subgenre piece. It is worth your time and your contemplation.

7/10