Brooklyn 45

I had not heard about this 2023 movie titled "Brooklyn 45" prior to sitting down to watch it. I was initially intrigued by the movie's synopsis and also by its cover/poster. And with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I had to give the movie a chance.

Writer and director Ted Geoghegan delivered a script and storyline that proved somewhat slow paced and rather uneventful actually. Throughout the 92 minutes that the movie ran for, I was expecting a tad more than what he delivered, so I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed with this movie in general.

It should be noted that the acting performances in "Brooklyn 45" were good, and there was some very talented actors and actresses on the cast list. I actually think I was only familiar with Larry Fessenden here, but I have to say that the entire cast put on good performances, despite of a subpar script.

I was expecting more in terms of horror, whereas writer and director Ted Geoghegan delivered somewhat more in the likes of a drama thriller laced with supernatural elements. I am sure that there is an audience out there for a movie such as "Brooklyn 45", I just wasn't particularly impressed or overly entertained.

While I managed to sit through all 92 minutes, I can honestly say that this is not a movie that I will ever sit down to watch a second time.

My rating of "Brooklyn 45" lands on a four out of ten stars.

This movie has a lot of positive points; great acting, lush cinematography, a great vintage feel, and a very original premise.

But the story was a little murky and leaves too many unanswered questions.

Without giving too much away... At the end of the movie, one can't help but say, "So what?"

There isnt any explanation of the events and no one takes responsibility for their actions. The movie just ends with the characters going "oh well, stuff happened. The end."

It was unsatisfying.

If someone asked me the premise of the movie I'd only be able to say, "Some WWII vets have a seance and weirdness ensures."

No questions were answered. The movie ended with a thud. Too bad. It had real potential.

This movie works, but the experience can be lifted: first of all, the weather can help a great deal, a rainy night, or like in the set, snow outside, and a few glasses of whiskey.

Now, Brooklyn 45 is a slow paced production, that lures you in and keeps your interest, but you have to be used to such movies, because if this is your first, there is a good chance you'll wonder what are you watching and why are you continuing to do so.

Thus, I can only recommend it to people who know what to expect, who can see horror in different shapes and sizes, and are able to find it in this very small indie film and appreciate it for what it is and what it has to offer. As I said, it works late at night, with a glass full of hard liquor, and if you're lucky, a cigar.

All in all, I liked it, thus I will recommend it and hope you'll enjoy it.

Cheers! (J&B like in The Thing)

One room play created for film, and an ode to WWI through supernatural ethics. A group of people who were friends in WWII gather to support one whose wife has died. But these friends were on the higher echelon in the war, and they often took extreme measures in sake of the war regardless of the costs.

As any good play does, characters have secrets, whether of action or character, that are uncovered and discovered through the fright and terror imposed by the supernatural element. A morality play so to speak and questioning the ethics of war and personal action.

Acting is of good quality, and the plotting is simple as expected of this type of drama. The supernatural element adds to the tension and breaks some of the characters. Slightly trite and a bit characteristic, overall this was a worthy film to watch, just small in actual scope.

Brooklyn 45 (2023) is a recent addition to Shudder that I watched yesterday. The storyline follows a group of friends who were in the military and partook in various sins during their time in the World War. Now that they are together and initiate a seance, the sins from their past will be brought to the light for either judgement or their demise. Will any of the friends survive?

This movie is written and directed by Ted Geoghegan (We are Still Here) and stars Anne Ramsay (A League of their Own), Ron E. Rains (Teachers), Jeremy Holm (The Ranger), Larry Fessenden (The House of the Devil) and Kristina Klebe (Halloween).

This had a unique storyline and premise and somehow felt like the movie "Clue" in some ways to me. The characters were interesting as was the depiction of the era. The horror elements were hit or miss and relied more on CGI than I would have liked. The seance scene was just okay but the dead guy on the floor was fantastic. The last 13-15 minutes were great due to that character alone. Some of the monologue and conversations dragged and were boring. This film needed more scenes like the last 15 minutes and less back and forth/finger pointing between friends.

Overall, this had some unique concepts and worthwhile elements, but falls short of what it could have been. I would score this a 5-5.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.