Bethany

Really drawn out and dull. Some little scares. It's definitely horrific at times but overall it's very poor.

I've been lucky lately as it was a while since I watched a real stinker but luck never lasts forever. Bethany is in the category of movies I wished I never watched. There's not much positive to write about this movie, I can't think of anything actually. Everything was bad, the story, the actors, the special effects, the cinematography, even the soundtrack and sound effects, everything was mediocre. First rule to make an interesting horror movie, have a good soundtrack and avoid all that lame slow piano music. I don't get it that directors still don't get that. They all look like amateurs when using that highly irritating and numbing sound. Bethany is a movie I can't unwatch but I will for sure forget everything about it in the future. In fact, I already did, that's how bad it was.

Horror movies with a low budget do have quite the hard standing with fans of the genre. And even more so with the occasional viewer. If you are part of the latter group I don't think you'll find much worthwhile here - especially in the slow beginning.

It does take its time and is rather dull at first (some moments excluded). The actors are fine and the special effects are ok considering the budget. It does take up pace and has some interesting ideas towards the end. Again not sure if you'll be able to stick around or care after a certain point. Not really the worst I've seen, but also not as original as it may think it is. Still decent effort overall.

As much as I love horror movies, then there was no reason for me not to sit down and watch "Bethany", especially since the synopsis for the movie did seem interesting.

However, I didn't even get to the end of the movie, not even to the half of the movie. I gave up on "Bethany" after mere 35 minutes. Why? Well, because it was some very, very boring and long 35 minutes where nothing, absolutely nothing happened in the movie.

I am not even sure if the movie would have picked up pace at some point after the 35 minutes, and I have no intentions of going back to find out.

There was nothing appealing to the story, as director James Cullen Bressack managed to muster an incredible slow pace that utterly killed the atmosphere of the movie, and there was no tense build-ups of suspense or dread. Essentially, there was nothing aside from Zack Ward and Stefanie Estes sitting around in an old house trying to come to terms with something through means of slow paced dialogue.

As for the acting, well I can't claim to be impressed with what I saw during the 35 minutes that I managed to endure. I am not familiar with Stefanie Estes, so I don't know how she usually performs. As for Zack Ward, well he wasn't really putting on what could be ranked among his top performances here.

For a horror movie, then the only thing truly frightening about "Bethany" was how slow paced and how devoid of anything even remotely scary or frightening the movie turned out to be.

If you enjoy a good horror movie, then "Bethany" is not a great pick.

I don't expect much from any thriller/ horror movies nowadays. I just watch anything that comes out new. When it comes to Bethany, I thought it's a bit slow paced at start but it gets creepy and intense til the end. Well plotted, and casts were pro acted. Totally worth watching I must say 👍🏻