100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 65: The Signal

Director: William Eubank
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp, Lin Shaye, Laurence Fishburne

Description: On a road trip, Nic (Brenton Thwaites) Haley (Olivia Cooke) and Jonah (Beau Knapp) are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness - only to find himself in a waking nightmare.

Review: When looking at the poster, you see it’s a Sci-fi film. But other then that, I had no idea what to expect. That it turned out to be such a fantastic film, I never would have hoped. With a small budget (4 million dollars) they did a lot more than many big blockbuster science fiction films.
With “The Signal” you have no idea what is going on for a long time. You share the feeling with Nic: in the dark, looking for the truth, desperation. Nic was on a roadtrip with his girlfriend Haley and friend Jonah. On their way they come in contact with a hacker, Nomad, who got them in trouble before. The decide to trace the signal. Later Nic wakes up in a research centre and people walking around in white suites.
It’s better not to tell you more about the film. You should go into this film with minimal information. Because the budget is low, the film isn’t depending on CGI or special effects. It’s the story. And the film is perfectly balanced. It’s mysterious, visually good looking, surprising.
A great sci-fi film that will keep your attention even with its simplicity and sober feel.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 45: Oculus

Director: Mike Flanagan

Genre: Horror

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff, Rory Cochrane, Annalise Basso, Garrett Ryan, James Lafferty, Miguel Sandoval, Kate Siegel, Scott Graham, Michael J. Fourticq, Kate Parker, Justin Gordon, Bob Gebert

 

Description: Kaylie (Karen Gillian) tries to exonerate her brother Tim (Brenton Thwaites), who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.

 

Review: People used to think mirrors could capture your soul. After a death, they covered them up, afraid that the soul of the dead dragged the souls of the living into the afterlife. The mirror in “Oculus” takes lives by showing hallucinations. When leading character Kaylie is eating an apple, it’s actually a light bulb. Or is it? A scary image, a mouth full of blood, but the tension is there. And that’s why “Oculus” works.

The story starts with Tim Russell, who is being discharged from a psychiatric institution where he has been since he was 10. His father Alan tortured and killed Tim’s mom, and little Tim shot his dad. Tim’s older sister Kaylie remembers this differently. According to her an antique mirror drove Alan crazy. She has a plan to proof that the mirror has supernatural powers, but she needs her brother’s help.

“Oculus” is based on a short film “Oculus – Chapter 3: The Man with the Plan”, by director Mie Flanagan. Here a man is confronted with a demonic mirror. The short film was received well and Flanagan was asked to create a full length movie. He introduces two parallel story lines. One is set in the here and now, the other in the past. While Kaylie and Tim go back to their elderly house, you also see what happened all those years ago in the Russell family. This set up works very well. Although it sounds confusing, it really isn’t. it’s very easy to follow.

“Oculus” has some scenes that might shock you visually, but it’s more the threat then the gore that scare you. Because of the hallucinations, it’s sometimes hard for the audience to separate reality from hallucination. Both Brenton Thwaites and Karen Gillan, as Tim and Kaylie, do a great job. Rory Cochrane is also impressive, but it’s Katee Sackhoff that shines. Her role is not that big, but a memorable performance.

“Oculus” is definitely a horror movie worth watching!

Rating: 4/ 5