What follows are three films, two playing in the supernatural, and one thriller that impressed me with their ideas even if the execution and final result were unfortunately lacking…
For the audio version, you can enjoy Commander Shipp discussing this in a new Content Not Found episode here or wherever you stream podcasts.
Never Let Go
Halle Berry’s foray back into the horror genre had a lot of lumps, as the film bounced back and forth playing with the reality of her visions and what her children could or couldn’t see. Were there actually dark entities plaguing her and the whole world? Or had she actually just brainwashed her children into a shared delusion? I won’t spoil the finale and reveal here because I think it’s actually a solid dilemma that the movie wrestles with…however what holds this movie back are a few painful, drawn-out scenes and the breakdown of rules (touching the rope, what can you and can’t you see, what can the entity do) that likely wore audiences out.
However, the film’s premise really should be held up as one of the better horror premises of the past few years, along with solid child acting, which can be so difficult to pull off / strike a balance. Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins take on the bulk of the acting load in the last 30 minutes or so, and this film certainly would have fallen apart without them nailing the brotherly tension.
Trap
Okay, so I need to set aside what I had hoped this film was. I’ve always maintained it’s not great to hold a film to an expectation it never set out for itself. For example, I think holding back the reveal about Josh Hartnett’s character would have been great (tease us with an action thriller that eventually turns into a horror thriller) but that’s my narrative preference.
What we are left with is more about the cat-and-mouse game between Hartlett’s character and the police force, how will he escape each situation, can he keep his family cover going, etc. And largely, when the movie is set within the stadium / concert, it largely works. When it shifts gears to the house is when the narrative starts to crumble and where M. Night Shyamalan’s casting of his daughter, Saleka, becomes a glaring issue. That aside, Hartlett hams it up for the entire runtime and it’s worth at least a watch for his enjoyable performance…even if the surrounding trappings start to fall apart.
The Watchers
I never thought we would have two Shyamalan’s on a list together, let alone three, but this last entry The Watchers, features M. Night’s other daughter, Ishana, in her directorial debut. Watchers hit me in a similar way to Never Let Go: they both have great premises, and they both execute some elements of that well, but later, some of the rules or things we should be concerned about seem to fly out the window. And unfortunately for Watchers, there are simply too many stretches where the film’s pace drags on before you eventually get to the final act, where the best parts of this story lie.
I won’t spoil what that act and the mythological creature Ishana chooses to tackle / explore. But I will say, for those that have grown tired of zombies and vampires, the darker or “truer to the original” approach taken here is a breath of fresh air than the usual Disney-fied version we’ve grown to expect. And may be enough for some horror / supernatural fans to give it a chance.
Thoughts?
So, what do you think? Did you watch any of these films when they came out? Do you see what I’m saying regarding their potential or do you think I’m completely off-base? Let us know in the Nerd Union Discord or social media pages, I would love to hear from you.
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