The Door

What was enjoyable about this movie for me was that the (HD?) camera work was clean and nicely composed, the direction and acting was entirely competent and the editing was cool too, in what I imagine was a film with a relatively modest budget. A pleasant change from average Hollywood. It was made by people with a real feeling for film. Mariah Bonner as the librarian was a bonus who definitely did not hurt the eyes. Shame she was an early victim.

The story wasn't great, though it exploited common enough fears of things that are half-seen (or were they there at all?), and move in the night (as opposed to go bump in the night). And the placebo effect is undoubtedly real, though whether it's killed anyone is questionable, I'd say, certainly in Western cultures.

I did once see a shadow person in bright daylight (or did I?). I was about three at the time, and lying in bed. The shadow of a figure ran across the wall, flowed into a shallow recess, slid behind a wardrobe, came out the other side, and vanished. It was more scary than Shadow People, and as you can tell, I haven't forgotten it. However, the good news (for anyone who's worried) is that it hasn't reappeared since, and 70+ years later I'm still here.

"How do you stop thinking about something." Charlie Crowe (Roberts) is a talk show host who's ratings are slipping and he is worried that he may get canceled. When a young man calls in one night and tells him about a nightmare he is having he thinks its a joke and hangs up on him. After receiving a package from him he takes it a little more serious, then after the next time he calls it changes everything. Charlie is now trying to figure out what he saw. This is a very interesting movie but I wouldn't call it a straight horror movie. The movie is interesting enough to keep you watching and interested but I didn't think it was scary in the classic sense. The only movie I can really compare this to is The Fourth Kind in the way that it mixes "real" footage with the movie footage which makes it a little more creepy. It is a hard movie to recommend because it doesn't really fit into a specific genre but I will say that it kept me interested the entire time. Overall, not a bad movie but nothing amazing either. I give it a C+.

When people who make movies go out of their way to tell the audience that their movie is based on actual events, they set themselves up for criticism from people who want historical accuracy. "Shadow People" is another movie that unnecessarily chooses to go that route. This movie was plenty scary, and could easily have stood on its own merits without having to play the "based on a true story" card.

I am reminded of two other movies that did this: The Fourth Kind, and Phantom. Both went out of their way to tell the audience that their stories came from factual history, and both received a hefty backlash of negative reviews from audience members calling the movie makers out on their claims. Any of these movies would have been better if presented purely as fictional entertainment.

If you can put aside this aspect of "Shadow People", you will be in for a decent flick, both chilling and eerie.

This film chills with ideas and suggestions more than with visuals and gore or straight action.

The director, IMO, does a great job with a modest budget and pulls out a bag full of skillful director's tricks (lighting, camera angles, shadows, color variations, etc) to achieve his ends. When there is an effect, it happens in shadowy spots of the screen image, reinforcing a spooky ambiance in the film.

One of the best low-budget/minimal-FX films I've seen in years.

It worked for me.

My hat is off to the director/writers and actors for a job well done.

I hope this review does not conflict with the User Review Guidelines.

The opening said was based on facts. Why was the movie not filmed in Eastern Kentucky?

The jumping required me to watch it again to pickup the story line better.

If I were able to pay more attention, I wouldn't have had to watch it a second time.

The basic premise to me would have been better if it were a documentary. Maybe even a miniseries.

More time given to the background as it relates to the story. I would have wanted more history on the Charlie Crowe character. This along with more history on the shadow people, when the stories were first written down.

If the movie comes on again I may watch it again.