I Dream of a Psychopomp

This movie has a very interesting concept and I really dug it. The only issue I had with the film was how some of the acting seemed a little too gentle for the movies feel and vibe.

Danny Villanuava Jr is a very good director who has a good future ahead of him and I can't wait to see more movies he makes. He shows us what grief is like and he makes us feel it deeply and so melancholy that the movie feels almost like a drama more than a horror, which I love a lot. The characters were interesting but what I loved the most was the color tones in the movie and the directing style. The movie gave The Vampires Assistant meets Insidious kind of vibes and we could use more of that in horror.

I have been fortunate to see this movie more than once (the Chicago premiere at the Music Box and once in Kenosha).

I didn't know what to expect, the trailer was great but it also didn't give me much of a storyline. So I went in with no expectations and boy does it deliver. You would not guess that it's a low budget, independent film.

The cinematography is beautiful. The sound and music is spot on. Each element working perfectly together to create a unified style, even through all the different stories and aspects. You can tell this had a strong director with a very specific eye and knew what they wanted and was able to communicate that to the rest.

I love the wrap around that ties the other stories together. You follow along with the lead who introduces a snippet of the other stories and then it jumps right into them. Each one dealing with a type of fear and loss. I think all the stories tie into the overall message of the film really well. The acting was very strong and I wouldn't even say there was a weak link. Each one pulled their weight.

I know this classifies as "horror" but it's not the gory, shocking and typical type of horror. It's truly more spiritual and relates more to how each person deals with grieving and death.

The other reason I adore this film is because it makes you think. It makes you question and talk about it afterwards. They only give you enough of the story to understand what happened without having to see the play by play. You can infer what happened and somethings we will never know! Like did she drink from the cup or not? The world will never know.

I hope this will eventually be available to streaming so more people can enjoy this beautifully made film. This is only the beginning for this director- I can't wait to see the rest of his career.

I learned of heaven, hell and purgatory as a child at St. Ann School in Ossining, NY in the 1960s. The theme of an afterlife has been done before. The problem here is the disconnected nature of the segments. A man has lost his wife in a car accident and is visited by a spirit guide. A follow up story involving a child molester made no sense. The final segment is the best one with a little girl seeking immortality. The young actress is the best part of the film. If that portion had been expanded to full length, this could have been a good movie.

This movie spoke to me on many levels. I loved the deep thought that went into each story and the symbolism. The lighting was great. The sound was awesome! I would consider this to be a journey into some deeper parts of our minds, hearts, and souls. Great job!

I confess horror is not a genre I gravitate to, but putting my "prejudice" aside, it looked very good and the acting seemed well done.

I liked the lighting a lot and the sound.

It might have benefited from running a title before each segment to minimize confusion.