Foreign found footage.
Another haunted house told through found footage. So, I knew this was found footage as I went in, so I shouldn’t complain about it. But, guess what? I’m going to. I don’t know if I have ever seen a Peruvian horror film, but damn do they have high quality cameras. The film quality on this film is excellent. The definitions and colors really pop, and the camera (in the beginning) holds itself steady to enjoy the craft. I do wish they would have just made a normal film instead of found footage. This is the best looking episode of ghost chasers I have seen.
The story itself is pretty basic. One thing I like is that the documentarians stay a bit in the background during the first chunk of the film. The exposition is a bit chunky, but it adds to a feeling of authenticity.
Unfortunately, about every complaint with found footage rears up once the documentary begins in earnest. Shaky cam, poor lighting, jerking movements, abrupt cuts, and so forth plague the movie. With such a strong hook it is too bad the film squanders the audience’s good will so quickly. Instead, we get a dimly lit and fairly predictable haunted house. The characters feel genuine, but they also feel manufactured. Not sure how to put this—it all looked too much like a film set?
I found myself yawning before the halfway point. There is nothing particularly wrong with this film, but it is just an exercise in genre. Further, why did there have to be professional tension between the characters? It just seemed forced and unneeded. I don’t really care if people don’t get along, and do people really think this is more realistic? People bickering while stressed is one thing, but getting into a fight over batteries before anything scary actually happens is nothing more than forced tension.
The scares are decent, though primarily due to sound. The film is fun, and the ghosts look cool. Overall, the film won’t blow your mind, but it isn’t bad. 5.5/10
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