Reviews

The idea was not new, but was decent. Some of the acting was good, most was painful. RIP Tom Sizemore, but darn, he did a terrible job. The story line was so convoluted because it didn't know whether it wanted to be a horror movie, a folk tale, or a drama. This desperately needed a better director to help it choose its genre, and it needed a better editor to cut it way down. I actually fast forwarded through many scenes just so I could get through it. It gets 4 stars because I was actually interested enough to see it through to the end, albeit by skipping a few scenes here and there. If you have nothing else to do one night, you could watch it, but be prepared to be patient and fast forward here and there!

The acting is great. Jude Law has quite an incredible range here. At some points he's charming and at other points he's terrifying. The kids in the second half do a great job, too. The visuals in the first half are stunning. Some events in the story make you roll your eyes a few times, which is why I gave it 7 stars.

You'll see pieces of Wicker Man, Midsommar, and other sacrifice/cult movies you've seen before. This one has a few new ideas thrown in to make it just different enough.

After seeing some of the ratings and reviews here I was worried. Now that I've seen it, I feel compelled to write this review to balance all the lower ratings and negative reviews.This movie has nothing gross or shocking for fans of horror movies who need those things. The acting is good, and the horror is subtle, building the mood, creating dread, and ending with a great twist. I quickly loved the characters and their quirks. The use of the deaf psychic feels like an homage to Stephen King and the helpers he often has in his stories. The unique use of sign-language symbolized for me all the supernatural things around us that we can't easily communicate with. I was impressed with how empathetic the parents are with their son's difficulties and how well the parents work together, something I wish we could see more of in movies. I also liked that the tension in the story isn't within the family, it's between the family and the Evil Thing, where it belongs. This movie is simple and relatively short, but it has heart and a great sense of foreboding. I love how the last scene left me satisfied, but also felt like something Evil had given the audience a slow wink with a creepy smile. I won't look at a slim, bright red door the same way again... Well done.