The Sixth Secret

The Sixth Secret - the horror comedy by Estonian filmmaker Mart Sander - was a rather surprising cinematic experience. Horror movies haven't been that country's strong suit (at least to my knowledge), and that alone makes it worth a watch. It's even more interesting to realize that the film is a parody of old Hollywood films - but not in a negative sense. Rather, it's a nod to a certain type of filmmaking that is no longer in vogue but deserves a comeback. By placing the emphasis on the dialog (which must be followed closely, as it contains several details that play a significant role later on) and keeping the action in the background, it demands audience immersion and assumes that the viewer is familiar with the vintage atmosphere and its associated boundaries. The film offers a pleasantly intriguing and witty narrative, piling on various elements of crime and horror films of yesteryear. The ensemble cast is very international, and it can be difficult to understand their English at times, as one needs to quickly adjust to their accents. Nevertheless, the story is humorous and handsomely filmed.

I saw the premiere at the festival in Estonia, where this film took the audience by storm and received the Audience Award. It's surely a fun film, reminiscent of vintage horror-comedies of the 1940s, only the horror is more horrifying and the comedy is more sexy. It's a very complicated story of revenge and inheritance and murders and ghosts, but now as I think of it some days later, it also has a very strong message that what you do, just might come back to haunt you.

This movie reminded me of the old movie "Clue." It's a whodunit with twists and turns all wrapped in that classic film noir style. I really enjoyed it... up until about 3/4 of the way through.

Of course, for no reason other than reasons... we have to have gay representation as a major plot point. Ever since the "awards" committees deemed it necessary to include every social agenda possible before a movie is even considered eligible for nomination, it is getting harder and harder to find movies without this being pushed on the viewers. If you - like me - couldn't care less what goes on behind closed doors, but refuse to participate in anything that promotes these agendas, then you may want to think twice about this one.... but know that that alone is it's sole drawback.

I really wanted to love this movie. It promised all the Agatha Christie like elements I love. Secrets to be revealed. An eclectic group of very flawed characters in a confined setting. Class differences. A spooky mansion. Dark humor even.

But we quickly lurch into blandness and predictable plotting. It does not help that eight of the 12 characters are sent away at around the 20-minute mark after abruptly revealing their not very creative secrets. I had wanted to know more about each of them. After there abrupt departure some crosses and double crosses. And a series of flashbacks, one with very strange CGI, and a few bedroom scenes, one of which might be a bit of a surprise to some viewers.

The acting is community playhouse level. Madame Orlofsky, the psychic, (Triin Lellep) has an especially silly "Russian" accent and with the overacting reminded me of Natasha in the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon. The screenplay is full of plot holes, the directing pedestrian at best. There is not much in the way of visual interest in the sets. The characters are bland, not as villainous or "off" as they should have been.

Any positives? I understand that parts of this film may be a homage to the Hammer films of the 1950s and 1960s. Maybe. I've watched most of them, and this really too much of an inside joke for me to get.

The only mystery is why The Sixth Secret called a horror. I note a number of reviewers here use the term, as do some of the synopses on other sites. Odd. It's hardly horror. More mystery, sort of, and lame dark comedy.

Well we all know the answer to the question but here it is anyway. Who would rate this film anywhere north of a 5?

Gratingly awful delivery, jarring fake accents and 1st year drama school acting make watching this film actually the less preferable option to sitting in a room and having someone scrape their nails down a blackboard for 90 minutes.

The plot seems to have been written on a napkin and then padded out every 10 minutes with a subversive twist. You might not know, or care, what the twist is, but you know it's coming because there is nothing else on offer.

This film is neither a homage or parody to classic movies it attempts to mimic. You'll have more fun and mystery putting a bucket of poop in a dark room and walking about until you knock it over.