A horror story reminiscent of other old classics of the genre.
What is the story of the film? Emily and Randall are a young couple, she wants to continue her university studies and he is not sure about that. The two are going to spend some time at Randall's father's beach house, to solve their relationship problems. They're surprised when they find out the house isn't alone. There's an adult couple, Mitch and Jane, who have received permission from the owner of the house to spend time there. They decide to share the house, but the atmosphere is strange, something seems to be happening, a thick fog and strange behavior. What would be a few days to enjoy will become a nightmare for the youngsters, when Jane shows symptoms of some kind of virus.
The feeling of unease in the air is present from the moment Emily and Randall arrive at the beach house. We're watching everything that's happening, we don't know what the trigger will be. It makes us alert to every detail. That was my feeling. I didn't see the trailer or the promo clips, maybe that helped me stay in that state of tension.
It's that tension that encompasses all the footage, that holds the film up and leaves it standing. There is an influence of the classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", at this point most other expert reviews agree, I'm just an amateur. There are also influences from other horror films, where the story is about fighting an invisible entity that takes over people's bodies.
When Mitch and Jane came on the scene, I thought the story would follow the path of confrontation between the two couples. I thought Mitch would be the villain, a killer that the young couple would have to face. Fortunately, it didn't. I like it when I'm led to believe that something is going in one direction, only to then veer off in the opposite direction.
This is Jeffrey A. Brown's debut as a director, and the script is his too. Since 2003 he has worked in the industry, specializing as Location Manager for many film and television series productions. I checked out his background at IMDB and he even served as an assistant location manager, non-certified, for The Wolf of Wall Street. Take a look at his career on this Link
The filmmaker's experience as Location Manager has helped him to make the beach house, where most of the action takes place, a disturbing environment. The film was shot entirely three years ago, in 2017, when no one imagined we would be living in times of fear of a virus.
Actor Jake Weber plays Mitch. When he appears in the film, he conveys mistrust. His role is small, but effective, to keep the feeling that something bad can happen at any time. This actor is best known for his work in the series Medium. I have seen him in other productions and he is an actor who always delivers.
The main character is played by the actress Liana Liberato. She is a recurrent in youth films and series. Some time ago she received good reviews for her performance in the film about the sexual abuse Trust. She is beautiful and perfectly fulfils the role of the girl who must be strong to survive adverse situations.
I like low-budget horror films, because they challenge the director and the film crew. It makes them more creative. The great horror classics were made on small budgets. Of course, this will not become a classic, but it is an acceptable film and it is well done.
I've read the opinions of other people who don't like them. It all depends on people's tastes. For me, it's a good low-budget production, which manages to keep viewers in constant tension and suspense.
My Ranking: 2.9/5
Trailer
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