They Look Like People

I liked the idea behind 'They Look Like People'. It reminded me quite a bit of 'The Babadook', a film which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately it felt like a poor man's 'Babadook'. It didn't quite work on the same level that that one did. The mystery element still works, because the film world isn't like the real world. Any film maker can just decide at the drop of the a whether he wants to stick to the laws of the world we live in, or just completely abandon them and do his own thing. So we are never quite sure exactly how much of the mystery in films like this is going to turn out to be true. That's why it works. What doesn't work as well is the tempo and mood of this film. 'The Babadook' managed to be a horror, while also telling its extremely smart story. I'm not sure exactly what genre 'They Look Like People' would fall into though. Probably if I had to pick one I'd say drama. Any old film can fall into the drama category though, and that's where I think this film fails. It doesn't clearly identify itself well enough.

It's a very short film at only 80 minutes, and they pass by quick enough. While there's never really a lot happening, it also never drags. We, the audience, are always on the look out for clues and hints as to what the characters are actually dealing with here, and that keeps things ticking. The final scene is far and away the best the movie has to offer, and is actually extremely well directed. I would've liked another 10-15 minutes on the end to tie up a few loose ends, but it wasn't to be. I think this film could have been more than what it is, but even still it's a pretty watchable experience.

Wyatt firmly believes the world is about to end as knows it, convinced that alien creatures are taking over people's bodies. Wyatt's paranoia is enhanced by a series of phone calls from a woman. Wyatt desperately tries to keep his mate Christian safe.

First off, please don't expect a horror film, it's listed as a horror, but it isn't there are some horror inspired themes, but at no point does it fit into that bracket, I'd loosely put it into the atmospheric thriller bracket.

I am a fan of it, I've seen it a couple of times, and it seems to improve with every viewing, there's so much to spot, and you'll ask yourself, it Wyatt seeing things as they are, or having some sort of breakdown.

Wyatt and Christian's bromance is fun, and the pair share some amusing scenes, and one very tense, dark moment.

It deserves higher acclaim, it may just be a little too weird for some, but it is honestly worth a look, it's well made and well acted, and the stork is a good one.

8/10.

In terms of flimmaking, I think this is good. It doesn't rely on special effects or crazy action scenes to keep a viewer watching. There's a sense of suspense in every scene portrayed just through the acting. I think the two main characters worked well together, and reflected off each other is a healthy/unhealthy way.

A good movie doesn't need a big budget or fancy locations. It just needs good acting and a well-written story. I'm not so sure about the story here.

I have to admit I spent a lot of the time watching thinking, "WTF is going on?" That can be good but it was a bit too confusing in this film.

Is the terribly troubled Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews) a complete nut job or are there really diabolically disguised monsters all about us intending to take over our planet? This is the unusually intriguing and engagingly executed premise driving the indy horror drama "They Look Like People".

Virtual feature flick newcomers Andrews, Evan Dumouchel and Margaret Ying Drake are uniformly superb as the main characters. They're manner of speaking and interaction is entirely innate and natural, when the scenes don't skew toward the SUPERnatural, that is.

This is a consistently compelling story being told here. One that serves to substantiate that we are all psychologically fragile to some degree and in our own way. It is how well we deal with these frailties, or moreover how those who care about us help us contend with our instability, that so often times determines the capacity to not just cope with, but ideally overcome, our individual challenges.

First time full-length film director Perry Blackshear writes and directs along with having a hand in just about everything else there could POSSIBLY be to do in making a movie. I suggest you put him on your radar. If "They Look Like People" is any sort of indication, this is a crazy creative talent we'll be seeing and hearing a lot more from in the years to come.

It's a psychological drama that dips its toe into psychosis that is just about interesting enough to make you stick with it.