Impossible Horror

WARNING IF you cannot disregard budget and need high end effects this movie is not for you, simply pick another one and move on.

Recommended watch for the moviebuff.

So to get down to it; This is a thriller/mystery/horror on an extremely low budget. If that does not scare you can you can focus on the plotline this will be a good watch because the strength here is all in it's plotline and the editing which keeps the pace up. The effects are better than anticipated for this type of movie, the gore is at times fully okey (discounting budgets). The movie has some source materials it draws from: Blair Witch project (1999), Donny Darko (2001) and probably Cube 1997/Hypercube 2002. It ends up being one of a handful of horrors during the last years that has something to them (like Don't blink 2014 or Coherence 2013) - note i'm not a horror fan and I do know there has been some pure horror/mysteries (and series collecting indie film plotlines - relaunching them as original works) during the last years that has been really well executed.

End notes: The social commentry hiding under the somewhat original subplot raises the rating a little, what does shine however is how the subplot is expanded into that commentary seamlessly and the movie as a whole - that was impressive. For those who like that kind of thing i can recommend the sci-fi action Predestination (2014) and the deeper movie Stalker (1979) which deals with the heavier subject of insight/enlightenment.

The basic premise is simple enough but then the plot wanders into the surreal, thankfully never so far as to lose coherence but all the same, the story spends most of its time in what looks to be an alternate reality shared almost exclusively by the two protagonists, a security guard and a dozen hooded figures. There's only a vague explanation as to the background or course of events but that's in keeping with the general theme. High standards of camera work and compelling acting by the two female leads, Hannah in particular delivering lines and action with a directness essential to balance the wandering weirdness. An enjoyable watch with an appropriate runtime.

Disturbed by ghostly movements in her apartment, a failed film maker teams up with a stranger to investigate the nocturnal screams coming from outside.

Extreme snazzyness in the film making techniques, with the interrupted reaction a signature of the director, and even some brief stop motion thrown in. The editing is snappy, so snappy that sometimes it prevents the horror from lingering and seeping in - although they did take more time as the story progressed.

This feels like a tour de force by a top-of-the-class student who sees the horror genre as a convenient debut feature. So the first 20 mins is a sequence of neat tricks, but then the story gains some substance by the introduction of an interesting character with some comedy in her clipped delivery. But still the story is a self-conscious mimicking of video gameplay, without bass notes or suspense or sustained fear. The director has fun with mock fight sequences, but goes too far in one scene where a cuddly toy comes into play, stripping the horror out of comedy-horror. Also, fun with real effects gore, but still like an exercise.

Music and sound design are good, and the atmosphere of a strange, enclosed world is well done. Performances are mannered, but that's the kind of movie it is.

There is an interesting departure with the flashback to those who have travelled this path before, and we enter a heavier, surreal phase of the story, with a blackly funny montage of ghastly suicides - the burned out eyeballs was my pick. After that I think there was a tribute to the two gals in the blue niteclub in Mulholland Drive. A bit cheeky, because that classic scene is the gateway to harrowing emotion and true horror, whereas here we've just got a reflection on the agony of creativity.

I found it intriguing but a bit light, and in the end confusing, as the film makers tricksied about too much to earn the weird climax.

Impossible Horror has some interesting ideas at its heart, though they might have been more fully developed given more time/money. Even so, unlike many low budget movies, there's enough here to get you interested.

Like many indie / low budget films, Impossible Horror has some of the usual giveaways that betray its lack of budget that all film makers should be avoiding as a matter of course by now.

Most unforgivable is have the entire soundtrack played on what sounds like one single cheap synthesizer. It really is better to have no music at all than music that just sounds awful.

The other giveaway is that nearly all the cast look to be about the same age - possibly in the same year group. This is less of an issue in this movie than in some others, however, because the scenes are so intensely focused around the two leads.

Speaking of which - the two leads are both really really good; empathetic, strong, and convincing - there's nothing low budget about the quality of the acting, which will keep you gripped right until the end.

Similarly, Impossible Horror is beautifully shot, putting most far bigger budget movies to shame: subtle yet sumptuous colours, strong contrast yet with subtle detail and superbly framed. Even though a lot of the movie is shot at night, you never feel frustrated in wanting to see more.

Impossible Horror is held back by some of its obvious budgetary limitations; however, if a conscious decision was made to spend the bulk of the money/effort on high quality cinematography and quality actors and not worry too much about the rest, as opposed to spreading the budget evenly risking an even mediocrity, then I for one applaud it. It's rare to find low budget movies that excel in any areas, let alone two.

I quit watching this more than once and if I never reached the end but decided to do a review anyway the not in front of horrible in my title would not have been there. This is a movie that could only be made with the storyline it has by a millennial. It's incredibly self indulgent and clearly a product of someone who has been sheltered from the realities of the world. That isn't an entirely bad thing but how the group of people searching for an answer are all in their 20's and successful as a acclaimed Operetta composer, best selling author, champion pit fighter and a well known Stand up comic only happens in the realm of fantasy, which is fine but who can relate to this. If the cast was of a reasonable age for their accomplishments it would be far more believable. The movie itself isn't bad the idea is sound and a more capable cast and crew could have made an excellent film out of the premise. Don't expect to much from the ending but to me at least it went horrible to not horrible with how it ended.