I usually try to be pretty kind with movie reviews and I am fairly easy to please, but I have been racking my brain to find the pros outweighing the cons for Armand Petri’s Reel Nightmare.
I watched the movie in a couple of sittings and absolutely couldn’t get hooked. I could see where the film was going and what Petri was trying to do, but it just fell absolutely flat. Not only was the acting blah, but the story was lost in the absolute cluelessness of the characters. Little things like not even mentioning the blacked out eyes of one of their friends after being possessed.
Madeleine Heil, who plays the lead Sophie, was actually pretty good. But other than that, I’m sorry. Over the top stereotypes of horror tropes, homosexuality, machismo, and damsel in distress were laughable if not offensive.
On the positive side, the plot was tried and true and the effects (both makeup and paranormal) really worked with the feel of the film. I liked the mixture of found-footage vs regular filming that moved seamlessly within itself. Also, and I am grasping at anything here, but the title of the movie is pretty clever as it covers a team of film makers.
I am not trying to make up anyone’s mind. I truly hope that people check this movie out and enjoy it. I wanted to enjoy it. I wanted to write a glowing review. The movie just fell flat from where it could have and should have been.
Spoiler-Free Short Film Reviews: “Bookworm,” “Hevel,” “Souling,” “Dark Mommy,” “Spooky Crew,” “I Could Just Die, and That Would Be Alright” (Overlook Film Festival)
Following is a capsule review roundup of six of the short-film shockers that screened at this year’s edition of New...
