Le Voile du secret

First, before I get into the movie, can I please just say that if you only watch the first 15 minutes of a film and then turn it off (as one reviewer said they did), please don't write a review of it. Clearly, you can't give an informed opinion if you only watch a fraction of the film.

OK, The Veil is not a big budget, blood and gore, jump scare heavy sort of movie, so if that's what you're looking for then this one is probably not for you. This one is more of a tense, unnerving film with an indie feel to it that works for the story and lends it realism. Its dark atmosphere is unsettling and lasts from start to finish. Thomas Jane is perfect in his role, which is unlike any other I've seen him in. This one just worked on many levels. It has its flaws, but all in all, I found it entertaining and worth watching.

A lot of people think this is basedon the Jim Jones famous cult massacre but its actually based on the Hale Bop comet cult and its actually a true cult who poisoned each other with an apple pie special over 3 days as they believed aliens were coming to transport them to another world - how some people can fall for these cults is beyond me but it makes for fascinating viewing.

Thomas Jane was utterly superb and worth renting just to watch his scenes and reminds me of David Koresh another cult nutjob. Jessica Alba was just a bit of fluff on a stick and could have been substituted with any actress! I quite like cult type movies and there haven't been many lately!

It is a bit slow but there are some real jump scares - I messed ma pontaloons on at least 3 occasions so its not without its scares.

Overall though its pretty standard fair but worth a watch if you are a horror fan!

In a way it was disappointing, but in another, it's what it claimed to be. A Jim Jones-type of guy (Thomas Jane) commits suicide with is cult, and several years later, the lone survivor -- Sara -- returns to the scene with a film crew headed by Jessica Alba. I won't give away any spoilers, but it was not good in my opinion. The acting was fine, but the story line was wanting. It was very slow to the point that it dragged in many places. I started it around 9:30 in the morning, and I was falling asleep half-way through. Much of the coloring looked like a transition between black-and-white and color, giving it a somewhat grayish look. Maybe I just saw a bad copy. It's not a found-footage film. I do not recommend.

The premise of cult suicide eerily resembles real life tragedy, perhaps it is such intended effect. A cult leader Jim Jacobs (Thomas Jane) allegedly leads his congregation to their deaths in a promise of unworldly reward. In a pleasant surprise Thomas Jane is bizarrely fitting cast for the charismatic leader. He's been delivering good characters in last few years and he seems to get better each time.

After the events of mass suicide, a sole survivor is found, Sarah Hope (Lily Rabe). It takes her 25 years but she eventually returns to the site with a film crew. The Veil already produces anticipation more than the usual documentary crew fumbling into uncharted territory.

Its premise and ambiance are presentable, often using grey tone and cryptic air to its advantage. Although it uses found footage element, it doesn't force the gimmick for the entirety of the movie, thus it could show the past and present sequences freely.

Most of the horrors are based on foundation of Jim Jacobs' cult, which effectively produces a creepy setting. Furthermore, Thomas Jane as the prophet role has a way to allure interest as well as secretively shows some hints of violence. He's magnetic but still a shady person. The dark forest gives a proper visual for the ordeal, maintaining the sense of isolation well.

Unfortunately, few of the potentials for the scare end up in predictable fashion or blunt jump scares. Aside from Sarah Hope and the lead director Maggie (Jessica Alba), the rest of cast are not fully fleshed out. Still, the mystery effect and the appropriately crafted presentation manage to construct overall frightening atmosphere.

The Veil rallies and promises a great horror from its harrowing cultist vibe. It stutters a bit towards the end, contrasting the good basis it has set, yet the narrative and atmosphere still create gratifyingly creepy experience.

Finally! I saw something better! It's been a while, well, with the exception of Sweet Home, good productions are rare these days.

Let me start by saying I am a huge Thomas Jane fan, so of course I may get a little subjective here, but beside his great acting skills and the rest of the crew involved, The Veil does deliver. A nice plot, used so many times, way better job this time, some good jump scares, intrigue and a good ending. I would almost grade it a 7, but I'm going to give it 6 stars, cause it got predictable real fast. My only complaint about the movie.

The Veil is a nice surprise, a great start this year for horror fans, so far at least, lets keep our fingers crossed and see what else is out there!

Cheers!