Awaken the Shadowman (2017) Directed by J.S. Wilson
Great, another movie that has no idea what it is trying to be. It is a mishmash of multiple genre elements that just never click.
At first sight this movie seems straightforward enough. I mean, just look at the cover. Or just look at the title! This has got to be a another supernatural horror flick right? Well, not exactly. For most part this isn't even a horror movie. I would definitely call it more of a thriller instead, though there certainly still are plenty of horror moments and elements in the movie as well.
The problem with of all of it is that it fails to ever grab your attention. It is too slow at first and its mystery just isn't all that compelling to begin with. It is all some pretty standard stuff about a disappearance, in which things are never made either original or suspenseful. There is absolutely a lack of some good suspense and mystery throughout this movie, which shows especially at the start of it, when things are supposed to get you interested in the story and its characters.
I also definitely wouldn't say that the movie becomes much better once the horror elements start to kick in. Again, it is some pretty formulaic stuff all and nothing genuinely scary ever happens. It is creepy at best at times and I have to admit that the movie still seemed to have plenty of potential with its horror characters and other elements, if only things got incorporated more effectively into the movie.
Despite its low-budget it actually still remains a pretty well made movie. It has s good look to it and it certainly appears very professional, aside from a few clumsy moments. It is however the acting that still makes it apparent you aren't watching a big budget production here. The acting is quite terrible at parts, which also makes it hard to ever care for any of the characters.
But really, it is not a terrible movie by any means. It is just an incredibly ineffective one, that besides special or surprising. More messy than bad, but a far from recommendable movie nevertheless.
5/10
Watch trailer
At first sight this movie seems straightforward enough. I mean, just look at the cover. Or just look at the title! This has got to be a another supernatural horror flick right? Well, not exactly. For most part this isn't even a horror movie. I would definitely call it more of a thriller instead, though there certainly still are plenty of horror moments and elements in the movie as well.
The problem with of all of it is that it fails to ever grab your attention. It is too slow at first and its mystery just isn't all that compelling to begin with. It is all some pretty standard stuff about a disappearance, in which things are never made either original or suspenseful. There is absolutely a lack of some good suspense and mystery throughout this movie, which shows especially at the start of it, when things are supposed to get you interested in the story and its characters.
I also definitely wouldn't say that the movie becomes much better once the horror elements start to kick in. Again, it is some pretty formulaic stuff all and nothing genuinely scary ever happens. It is creepy at best at times and I have to admit that the movie still seemed to have plenty of potential with its horror characters and other elements, if only things got incorporated more effectively into the movie.
Despite its low-budget it actually still remains a pretty well made movie. It has s good look to it and it certainly appears very professional, aside from a few clumsy moments. It is however the acting that still makes it apparent you aren't watching a big budget production here. The acting is quite terrible at parts, which also makes it hard to ever care for any of the characters.
But really, it is not a terrible movie by any means. It is just an incredibly ineffective one, that besides special or surprising. More messy than bad, but a far from recommendable movie nevertheless.
5/10
Watch trailer
