Leave

I wasn't sure what I was in for here, as I sat down in 2023 to watch the 2022 horror movie "Leave". All I knew about it was the fact that it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, nor actually ever heard about. And that was, of course, sufficient to make me sit down and give the movie a chance.

Writer Thomas Moldestad was on the right track with the script for "Leave". However, it just felt like it was missing an ingredient or two. I found the movie to be watchable, but it was by no means an outstanding or memorable horror experience. And as the movie came to an end after 106 minutes, I have to admit that I was left with an overwhelming sensation of 'was that really it?'.

The acting performances in the "Leave" were good, and I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. I do believe that you actually see a very short cameo appearance in the bar scene at the first act of the movie from none other than Gaahl himself.

Visually then "Leave" was adequate. I mean, I wasn't blown away or overly impressed with the effects. But they were fair enough for a movie such as this.

If you enjoy horror movies, give "Leave" a chance. You might actually enjoy a slow burning horror story as director Alex Herron delivered, despite the fact that it wasn't all that entertaining for my liking.

My rating of "Leave" lands on a very generous four out of ten stars.

On a positive note, this was a well made film. It looked great, great shots, good sound... all that jazz. Unfortunately I would have to say that is about all I can say as far as positives go.

I would call this a slow burn, but it didn't even get to a burn... it never even ignited. It was belaboringly slow and nothing of interest or intrigue happened until the very end, I'm talking like the last 1/5th, and even that was meh.

I also think part of the problem was the main actress. She wasn't bad or distracting, she was just incredibly bland. She gave me almost nothing as far as character goes leaving me aloof towards this unrelatable person, walking away feeling like I just watched an entitled wet rag or piece of cardboard.

I don't want to sound like a hater, this isn't a BAD film... it is just incredibly underwhelming lol I hate saying this but for ME it was a bit of a waste of time, probably would not recommend.

This movie will not add anything to your life. It had some potential - weird families in Norway are a great place to start with a tiny bit of black metal thrown in for good measure.

However, my main pet peeve is the shots are too dark. What is the point of shooting a film when your audience cannot see what you are doing/ The compositions aren't strong enough to be 'arty'.

The storyline is very weak, you can see the ending coming from a mile away. It is not all that interesting. I kept waiting for something to happen but was left disappointed. Again, it had some potential but squandered it by following the main character to nowhere.

There is no black metal in this movie, only black screens.

Hunter seeks to understand her heritage after she was left orphaned in a cemetery. She flies to Norway thinking she knows who her mother is. What unfolds is a light version of "The Girl with a..." series, just less intense and less polished. Hunter ignores all the obvious signs of danger as she's hell bent on finding answers to her questions about being orphaned. The resolution has only minor supernatural elements, and we are left with only the horrors of humanity (including attempted rape). The acting is decent, production good, and the over quality of the film is fine. But, it lacks much in terms of genuine suspense or horrific elements. Worth a watch if a calm film with moments of something like intensity is to your liking.

Firstly, this movie ain't as bad as the negative reviews here would have you believe. While it was somewhat predictable in spots and felt like a movie that could have been made in the 80's or 90's, the storyline was still interesting and the actress in the lead role I thought was pretty good. I would have probably enjoyed this more at the Cineplex but, as a streaming movie, it's worthy of at least checking out when you're in the mood for an old-school suspense/horror flick. So, keep an open mind next time you can't seem to find a scary flick in the vast world of streaming horror and at least check out the trailer.