Nocturne (2016) Directed by Stephen Shimek
Hard to believe that this actually is a pretty decent genre attempt when you only watch the first 45 minutes of it. The start of the movie is such an incredibly slow and formulaic one that it is hard to imaging that the movie is ever able to recover from this. It however really does. Not quite good enough- and a little too late to save the movie, but it still does make it a slightly better than average one.
It is amazing how clichéd this movie gets at parts. And it is not tongue-in-cheek. It is a very serious and straightforward genre attempt, that features some of the very familiar clichés such as a bunch of teens, an ouija board, a hot-tub, booze, etcetera. It is terrible and annoying to watch all, especially when you have seen a whole bunch of genre movies already of course. The movie isn't even really trying to be original, as if it is saying; 'yes, I am a very clichéd movie, but I am going to be better than most other genre attempts;, which in some ways is the case, but overall it is the very same formulaic approach that makes the movie such a weak and forgettable one for most part.
It does a pretty good job with its characters, but on the other hand it fails to set up the right mood and tone for the rest of the movie, during the first part of it. There is never any good tension, no good mystery and certainly no shocks or any gore to enjoy. It is all being far too slow and predictable to work out as anything interesting or original enough, so I could certainly understand why anyone would switch this movie off, after 30 minutes or so.
Those who are patient enough will be rewarded though. The movie definitely picks up some pace once it turns more into a true horror flick and it does feature some pretty surprising and creative moments in it. Really, if only the first half of the movie would have been a bit as good as its second half, this movie would have been a pretty awesome and recommendable one. There is even some decent gore- and creative killings to enjoy in its second half, which is something most horror lovers are always able to appreciate.
It also most definitely is not a bad looking or poorly made movie. It is just that its formulaic writing is really letting the movie down for most part. In a way its better than some big budget productions, but in another its just as lame and bad as most other low-budget genre attempt. Truly a mixed bag, though in this case the poor elements still do outweigh the good elements of the movie.
5/10
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It is amazing how clichéd this movie gets at parts. And it is not tongue-in-cheek. It is a very serious and straightforward genre attempt, that features some of the very familiar clichés such as a bunch of teens, an ouija board, a hot-tub, booze, etcetera. It is terrible and annoying to watch all, especially when you have seen a whole bunch of genre movies already of course. The movie isn't even really trying to be original, as if it is saying; 'yes, I am a very clichéd movie, but I am going to be better than most other genre attempts;, which in some ways is the case, but overall it is the very same formulaic approach that makes the movie such a weak and forgettable one for most part.
It does a pretty good job with its characters, but on the other hand it fails to set up the right mood and tone for the rest of the movie, during the first part of it. There is never any good tension, no good mystery and certainly no shocks or any gore to enjoy. It is all being far too slow and predictable to work out as anything interesting or original enough, so I could certainly understand why anyone would switch this movie off, after 30 minutes or so.
Those who are patient enough will be rewarded though. The movie definitely picks up some pace once it turns more into a true horror flick and it does feature some pretty surprising and creative moments in it. Really, if only the first half of the movie would have been a bit as good as its second half, this movie would have been a pretty awesome and recommendable one. There is even some decent gore- and creative killings to enjoy in its second half, which is something most horror lovers are always able to appreciate.
It also most definitely is not a bad looking or poorly made movie. It is just that its formulaic writing is really letting the movie down for most part. In a way its better than some big budget productions, but in another its just as lame and bad as most other low-budget genre attempt. Truly a mixed bag, though in this case the poor elements still do outweigh the good elements of the movie.
5/10
Watch trailer
