Slumlord

The creepy landlord, pictured on the cover art for "13 Cameras," (aka "Slumlord" awful alt. title) has to be among the creepiest, realistic horror characters I've seen in a long time. The performance is minimal, yet highly effective. I don't want to play this up too much, but he creeped me out like Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs." At times, he also reminded me of Jame 'Buffalo Bill' Gumb in SOTL. Plus, his head looks like it's full of puss and ready to explode. He's disgusting. And, he's not the only despicable character in this movie. Within minutes, I was hopping that the husband's head would explode before the movie's end.

Newlyweds, expecting their first child, move into a new home, in which the creepy landlord has just installed 13 surveillance cameras, which he uses as his private Porn Hub and more. Also, a-hole husband is having an affair, which is rapidly becoming another ticking time bomb. How are these combustibles going to destroy these lives? Watch and see.

All of the performances are very good and quite effective. So is the direction, and the over all production. So, why the one star reviews? I don't have a clue. Maybe they were expecting a primal gorgy. It is definitely not that. It is violent, but not very bloody. Or maybe they were expecting something as sophisticated as "Silence of the Lambs." Who knows. But this is not a 1 star movie.

The build up is slow yet deliberate, so this isn't a movie for any one expecting a violent action fest. The couple's drama and the violence are nicely integrated. The general direction that the story takes is fairly predictable, however it remains compelling throughout. Some may guess the end, thought I'm certain that most will not. I want to give a hint, but I will restrain myself. Watch it for yourself. If you enjoy good quality, low budget drama/thriller/horror, I think this will satisfy.

I'm giving it 7 stars out of 10, although if I was rating it based on the low budget thriller/horror sub genre, I'd probably give it 10 stars for surprising me so much.

I don't know where to start with this movie. It's a low budget horror movie, so don't expect high quality camera work. That being said, the plot actually isn't half bad. The movie kept me engaged the whole time, which usually doesn't happen when I watch low budget horror movies on Netflix. The Gerald character is really disgusting- there are moments where I wanted to gag just looking at him. But overall, there are definitely worse movies out there.

"13 cameras", having its world premiere at FantAsia in Montreal, I discovered this dark take on the expansion of the world public and now home surveillance (& "security") camera market. Ingenious, funny and freighting this horror fare is fairly straightforward but has 2 elements going for it. 1) It focuses on the well written and acted familial drama of a couple with real life-changing and challenging issues. 2) It has a voyeurism background with a choice actor and appropriate filming angles to capture the imagination, instantly instilling discomfort and distress.

The editing and crisp pacing make it move along nicely and the only move you do not want to make is in this house with the "slumlord" watching attentively...

Kudos to Victor Zarcoff for building tension and a multi-layered cast of characters in a captivating setting and to the four convincing main actors for bringing us close to the abyss.

A sure hit.

USA 2015 | 84 mins | FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | DCP | English

The plot has it's moments, but it couldn't grasp me. Along with that I never really understood the ending, but that could just be me. I would however recommend watching it if you really like horror movies.

I spend my time watching bad horror movies for a good laugh. Me and my friends (improper grammar, sorry) go to netflix and look for the worst possible story, visuals, and overall effect. But, one day, while browsing, this caught my eye. From the trailer, it genuinely looked suspenseful and interesting. So we thought, why not watch something that looks good? And we were satisfied. The acting was a little bit stale at some parts, but the amount of story was balanced perfectly. Between the couple, and the Slumlord, both received equal screen time. So much so, that I felt wanted to see the other when another was getting their time in. Overall, I recommend it!