Anything for Jackson

The horror gendre has been one of my favorites for my entire life, yet the production of good movies in said gendre has been lacking, to put it mildly, in recent memory.

The horror movies that are effective, for myself at least, are those which don't rely on jump scares and actually endeavour to creep you out, thereby instilling a lasting emotion when thinking about the film.

Anything for Jackson, although not outstanding per se, does a fairly decent job of being creepy.

The acting is fairly good, and though I admit I do have a soft spot for Julian Richings who plays Dr. Henry Walsh, the entire cast does a competent job. The writing was up to snuff as well, taking a very basic premise and fleshing it out, and the make up and effects department did a great job.

I would recommend Anything for Jackson for a decent 90 minute watch.

It's been 2 days since I watched Anything for Jackson and I still cant get it out of my head... It's really good movie. Ill try to explain in few lines why I consider it to be a good movie.

1) Its different - In so much copy-paste ideas and remakes, i finally had the opportunity to watch something original, something different. Anything for Jackson suprised me couple of times during the movie and I really liked that. This movie was not predictable and its soo good!

2) Its low budget movie - I'm really starting to enjoy low budget movies more than high budget movies and that is actually not so good because it means that high budget movies lacks of original story and new ideas. Low budget movies today are more focused on depth of story and that is, for me, most important part of movie. In Anything for Jackson you will maybe see some cheap effects in some scenes but they are created with soul and that gives them something that most of high budget movies dont have today. I really enjoyed every scene of this movie.

3) Good acting and music - Acting is, besides story line, probably most important part of the movie and in this movie acting is great! I really liked main characters and by my opinion side characters were pretty good too. For me music is very important part of every movie and I really enjoyed in music and sound affects in Anything for Jackson so it's one more plus for this movie.

If you are horror movie fan and you are interested in cult stories than you definitely should check this movie, I believe you'll enjoy it!

This slow-burning horror, following a kind but determined satanist couple and their self-defeating desire to bring back their deceased grandson, is the kind of film that begs a second viewing. I didn't appreciate it the first time I saw it, but the second time around, the strong acting skills, special effects and underlying tragedy of the story won me over. Anything For Jackson somehow evokes an outpour of empathy for this couple of kidnappers, as it becomes more apparent the gravity of the losses they faced, and the lengths they went to in order to overcome them. Fans of Supernatural, Roxy Hunter and Hard Core Logo will instantly recognize Julian Richings as Henry, and Sheila McCarthy works very well with him in the role of satanist grandmother Audrey. Up-and-coming actor Josh Cruddas is memorable as the narcissistic satanist bum, Ian, a childish but obsessively devoted helper to the protagonists, and Yannick Bisson and Lanette Ware compliment every scene they're in. As a dark comedy and occult horror, Anything For Jackson works strangely well. While not perfect, and at times campy, it's a well-made and quite unforgettable story worth checking out.

Considering the low quality of a lot of horror output recently I wasn't expecting much from this movie. But what a surprise.

The story is well written and tight, nicely paced, and with plenty of intrigue so you never really know where it is going.

The characters are superbly portrayed by the entire cast.

If you want to see a good horror movie that doesn't involve teens screaming in some remote location - this is a movie to watch.

A fresh spin on a classic concept, Anything for Jackson follows an elderly couple who kidnap a pregnant woman with the sole intention of putting their deceased grandson's spirit into her unborn child. A wicked yet amusing premise, the film manages to get some mileage out of its reverse exorcism idea only to drop the ball in the final act to finish on an underwhelming note.

Directed by Justin G. Dyck, the film is a major step-up & a massive departure for its director when compared to his family-friendly filmography. Crafted with care & handled with finesse, the story is gripping from the get-go, brims with a disquieting chill, and packs some effective scares, thanks to the foreboding ambience & ghostly interventions that occur throughout its runtime.

What inherits the picture its uncanny strength however is the excellent performances from its leading duo. Sheila McCarthy & Julian Richings are fantastic in their Satan-worshipping roles and even add a parental touch to their otherwise despicable characters. The supporting cast fail to match the brilliance of the leads and are serviceable at best. As for the finale, it fails to deliver the desired goods.

Overall, Anything for Jackson is a fun & fiendish delight that manages to be both hilarious & thrilling and makes for a polished piece of work for a film shot on a low-budget. Certainly an impressive entry in a directorial career that's jam-packed with feel-good Christmas specials, this supernatural horror about loss, grief, remorse & satanism has its merits and will surprise many with its refreshing take on the subgenre.