Site

SITE is one of those films that sticks with you, and makes you wish all new Hollywood films were as bracingly original. It's thought-provoking, suspenseful, risk-taking, and yet somehow emotional with the characters' stakes. I enjoyed it even more than "Arrival," and appreciate how they nailed the ending without being heavy-handed. Overall, a superb independent film that teaches us the past and future may be more entwined than they appear.

Without knowing what I was in for here, I opted to watch the 2025 movie "Site" solely because I had the opportunity to do so. I virtually didn't know what I was in for, and thus harbored no expectations whatsoever to the movie. So in a sense, I suppose, then writer and director Jason Eric Perlman had every opportunity to entertain and impress me.

The storyline in the movie, as written by Jason Eric Perlman, was a bit sluggishly paced. It took forever to go anywhere in the narrative, and I have to admit that my interest in the movie was waning with each minute that writer and director Jason Eric Perlman spent setting the scene.

Of the entire cast ensemble in the movie, I was only familiar with actors Jake McLaughlin, Theo Rossi and Yoson An. The acting performances in "Site" were good.

Visually then the movie was quite alright. The effects were good and looked nice.

Watchable, sure, but hardly an outstanding or noteworthy movie. Nor is it a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.

My rating of writer and director Jason Eric Perlman's 2025 movie "Site" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.

This is a really fun movie with a great, innovative storyline. Really enjoyed Theo Rossi, who is just creepy enough but not in a bad way - in a good way. The music also really added to the haunted feel of the film and I was beyond impressed with all the special effects. Go see this film! You will not regret it.

What's new? Five main things:

The setting: Haven't seen this before - and it's a REAL place! WTF? Maybe the best thing about the experience for me was coming to learn about Unit 731.

The idea: Yes, I've seen the "karmic haunting" plot in a few movies, but never this way: never for these reasons, and never with this kind of twist.

The "portal" type: Really cool, fun name, new type journey. Provocative idea.

The cultural stuff: Not easy nowadays and takes a lot of chutzpa to even try this kind of thing. I think they pulled it off almost flawlessly. Chinese, Japanese, and US characters, all equally capable of the whole range of humanity, from innocence to monstrosity. No one gets a pass.

The familial arena: I must say, I was not expecting to get as choked-up in a SF-Horror about a family relationship. But, there's a dad and son at the center of the plot, and dude's just NOT cutting it. It's not that he doesn't WANT to, he just can't, but keeps trying ... not since "The Babadook" have a seen a non-cliché family depiction in this type of movie.

Negs? The plot can get confusing, and it moves so quickly between timelines that you can't have it on the background while you're ironing or doing your taxes or changing Junior's diaper.

That's it. See it. You won't lose by it.

Took a chance on this indie film, and Site is more than just sci-fi-- it's smart, emotional, psychological, and full of high-concept ideas. I can see how some might expect a horror movie and be disappointed if they're looking for mindless entertainment, but it's quite the opposite and you need to pay attention to get it. The mix of supernatural mystery and real historical events is intense but handled with care. It's a slow build, but by the end I was hooked, reflecting on its themes of trauma, redemption, and how the past echoes into the present. One of the most intelligent genre films I've seen in a while.