Directed By: Tyler Gillett & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Written By: Lindsay Devlin
Cinematography By: Justin Martinez
Editor: Rod Dean
Cast: Zach Gilford, Allison Miller, Sam Anderson, Vanessa Ray
After a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.
This is a film that seems to leave more questions, than it actually has answers. I wonder if that is because they were hoping for a series of films where they can slowly Trot out the religious aspects and self contained mythology. Though there lies barely any mystery, but tries to add suspense as we in the audience watch it go through the motions until, an ending we know is coming
I love a good mystery and leaning towards the unknown, but this film seems to think the mystery will either be scary or lead people to want it to be solved. When really the audience will just want to know to connect the dots for this all to make sense.
Many times during the movie I got distracted by thoughts and questions for it all to work.
There are numerous cult symbols hidden throughout the movie
The filmmakers have said they approached the movie as a "creepy thriller" and "unsettling love story" rather than a horror movie, which is how the film was marketed by Fox.
The decision was made by the filmmakers to move the movie away from the previous "found footage" tropes (such as the use of a framing device, a linear narrative and a non-recognizable cast) and into a story "told through cameras that exist in the world of the characters" much like Chronicle. This is demonstrated throughout, including the deliberate absence of a framing device, the use of an animated opening quote, a recognizable cast, a non-chronological narrative structure and a final music cue that is playing in the taxi becomes the end-credits song.
Like though they don't remember anything. After returning home apparently it never occurs to him to check his footage and witness the sacrifice? Is it he is too busy filming everything else? If he is how is this story only filmed or edited to show scenes that move the story forward?
Was she only a vegetarian for the continuous scenes of her eating raw meat and to let us know that uh oh something is wrong? As I think from the advertising and other behavior we got that point. One thing The film is not is subtle.
Is she possessed? It is the baby evil and possessing her? As she seems to have powers and be a demon at times, killing and torturing those around her, but then she doesn't remember. Then once he baby is born. The baby seems normal and not at all supernatural.
He sees her eyes glowing red and doesn't think or occur to him this is not normal?
No one else see's the preacher staring right at her, as he begins to break down and get sick? Not only that they Don't notice her glowing red eyes and evil demeanor.
What exactly do they do with these demon babies? What is the end game? How to they get funding and training? --Another One of the questions was, could this have all been avoided if they would have chosen a different honeymoon destination, but by the end it is explained that no matter where the couple goes. This is an international conspiracy. Though you wonder where do they get their funding?
Luckily the film is quick and short, so it gets to the point and never overstays it's welcome. Which hurts it mildly as we barely know the characters before all the bad things go down. So that we feel sorry for them as people, but we don't really know them to feel anything genuine.
Other then maybe to keep us emotionally involved. By having found footage type filming. Letting us into private moments. As the film plays. Which at first works as it seems to stay within the main characters camera. So what he doesn't see the camera picks up naturally or because someone else is using it. Then it switches to security footage, then some other groups camera. So it get's confusing as to are we watching this and they just decided to put the story together in non-conventional filming. Using more or less found footage, or are we supposed to be watching this as it is being presented to us. To let us know the phenomenon. Even got found footage films that reek of cliche. At least let us know early the reason or ways in which it will be used, here it seems done more out of trend and style to make a very basic story somehow more mysterious and scary. Though it is only scary due to jump scares.
We get this backstory that she was chosen and all, but the ending and some details relate that. None of this supposed important information matters. So why introduce it, it's not a red herring. It seems more like a dropped idea.
Also the film is a bit offensive, as the victims seem to be all these young innocent caucasian couples, who seem to be lead astray and victims of these dark skinned so called natives.
Skip it
Grade: F
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