(2011) **3/4
Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) offers a different take on the boogeyman tale by presenting two separate storylines that merge together in the final 20 minutes, both revolving around a ghoul that preys on children. The first story takes place in England where Clive Owen portrays a loving father assisting his 12 year old daughter Mia with her creative writing assignment. Mia writes about a mysterious ghost named “Hollowface” who needs to steal children’s faces for his own, lest he has nothing... or something like that. Meanwhile in a parallel story set in Spain, a young boy begins having nightmares about the very same ghost. The connection between the two families is saved for the M. Night Shyamalanic twist at the end. I must confess that my confident early prediction could not possibly have been further from the mark.
Intruders is an adequate spookfest with an emphasis on the psychological side of ghost stories. The scientific and religious approach to the situation is carefully contrasted; Mia undergoes therapy while the Spanish boy is sent to the church for a cure. It falls short in the scares department but it's intriguing enough to follow if you happen to stumble into it. I don't normally give quarter ratings but I can't in good conscience rate it as high as *** or as low as **1/2.
Intruders is an adequate spookfest with an emphasis on the psychological side of ghost stories. The scientific and religious approach to the situation is carefully contrasted; Mia undergoes therapy while the Spanish boy is sent to the church for a cure. It falls short in the scares department but it's intriguing enough to follow if you happen to stumble into it. I don't normally give quarter ratings but I can't in good conscience rate it as high as *** or as low as **1/2.
3 comments:
Sometimes you just need those quarter ratings, I've totally been there.
I'm wary of the adjective "M. Night Shyamalanic." It can mean so many things, depending on what part of his career you're thinking about.
Damn I hated Lady in the Water.
I meant "Shyamalanic" in the sense that the whole movie hinges upon a major twist. I actually haven't seen his last 3 movies so you're right, I probably should have picked a better adjective.
I went to the kitchen to make bread for tomorrows feast and when I came back there were a holy shitload of reviews! This sounds like one I would probably skip just because that mediocre rating kinda makes me feel like I'm drinking warm milk.
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