Let's jump right in!
THE FOREST (2016)
Directed by Jason Zada, and starring Natalie Dormer and Taylor Kinney, The Forest follows Sara as she searches for her sister who disappeared into the Aokigahara Forest.
Aokigahara is a real place, a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji. It's also known as the Sea of Trees, or most known as the Suicide Forest. In Japanese mythology, the forest is filled with yurei or "ghosts of the dead", and in modern day it is known for the massive amounts of suicides that take place in among the trees.
The real story behind The Forest is far more scarier than this movie though. Sara's twin sister Jess has gone missing in the suicide forest, but Sara is convinced she's alive because she can still "feel her". She travels to Japan and meets a journalist in a bar who will take her into the forest along with a guide to look for Jess. Once inside the forest they discover Jess's tent and so Sara and the journalist, Aiden, decide to stay the night in case she comes back. The guide warns that the forest is incredibly dangerous at night and you see things that aren't really there.
What could've been a horrifying journey through a ghost filled forest unfortunately turns into a boring, predictable mess. Natalie Dormer does an amazing job, don't get me wrong, but the script itself was weak. And Aiden's character was completely off. The scares were minimal and weak. And the imagery is boring and over-done.
Even the ending itself, while not predictable in a way, is boring and leaves you let down. With a setting and a fantastic creepy lore like the suicide forest, this movie had massive potential. And what was with the white washing of the ghosts? There's a young Japanese girl spirit that follows Sara around the woods and at one point she reveals her true identity as an evil spirit and for some reason her evil spirit face was a white lady? What?
This movie was garbage. But I will allow it the fact that after it was done I did feel creeped out. But that might've been because I was alone in my apartment and I kept hearing noises. We lived in a house for so long that I'm not used to hearing other people around me.
Basically....don't watch this movie. Just watch documentaries about the suicide forest and google images of it. It'll be much scarier.
4/10
THE GIFT (2015)
Well this was a breath of fresh air! Written, directed, and produced by Joel Edgerton, The Gift takes us on a terrifying ride involving a couple (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall) who are being pursued by a figure from the husband's past, played by Joel Edgerton.
Simon and Robyn relocate to Simon's hometown of Chicago and are instantly greeted by an old friend, Gordo. Gordo starts leaving gifts for the couple and showing up during the day. Simon is instantly annoyed by Gordo whereas Robyn is more understanding and compassionate towards him. After Gordo invites them to a dinner at his home which quickly spirals out of control, the couple realize Gordo is not who he says he is. And as Robyn begins to dig deeper she starts to realize that Simon isn't the man she thought she fell in love with either.
This film is a roller coaster of tense moments and quick, unpredictable scares. The tension gets so thick in some parts you can barely handle it. Gordo is played perfectly and you flip flop from feeling sorry for him, to fearing him, to relating to him. Simon's performance is delivered terrifyingly well by Bateman, while Robyn is just so so. It's one of those great films where you just don't know who to root for and you just get completely wrapped up in the lives and the story.
It also brings into question, do we ever change? Do the bullies in high school grow up and stop being bullies? Or are they always a bully? And should we forgive people for their past sins? It also reminds you that it is impossible to know everything about the person you fall in love with.
It's a really great ride and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
A strong 10/10.
Well, that's it for this weekend! I finally feel back to normal. And although my list of horror movies to watch is still too damn long, at least I got three out of the way. And two out of the three were great so that's pretty awesome.
Till next time!
Stay spooky!
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