Started off with such promise. Obviously super low budget but, hey, clever can overcome that. And some of the performances seemed like the director had merely cast his friends instead of actors (and by far the worst performances came from the two "detectives") but the mother and son were believable and their roles competently written. In addition the premise was original and intriguing and I was interested in going on the journey the film would take me on. And then it started - not so much "falling apart" as "stalling". Filmmaker's weaknesses, or inexperience, began to assert themselves. The interesting set-up was never further developed. Incidents occurring to further the plot seemed to carry no weight, often seeming as if they were forgotten about as soon as they occurred. Key connections seemed to be missing (possibly a production issue with missing scenes). Detectives, social workers and other characters seemed written without any relationship to the real world (and the writer/director might have believed he had given himself a pass because of a twist at the end, but they all served to further kick the viewer out of the movie while they were happening nevertheless). Real credit to the eerie depiction of the main entity (although with one exception the scenes are never directed to take advantage of the effect) but the rules established for the monster in the closet seemed to change or be forgotten about depending on the scene. But worst of all the pace and tone throughout was remarkably consistent with never any variation - no growing threat, or suspense, no continuing involvement or concern with the main character - so that well before the first hour was up I honestly didn't care what was happening and only continued watching because I dared to hope it would redeem itself in the closing minutes. Unfortunately, despite a nice little final moment in the closing scene, the ending is the worst, least imaginative sort of lame cop-out. LITERALLY, the worst lame sort of cop-out! My estimation of the project went from hopeful, to considering it merely hampered by some poor writing and uninspired direction, to bored disappointment and eventually anger for a climax that makes the 75 minutes spent watching it totally wasted.
Ah well... better luck next time filmmakers! And if I am seriously bored, or drunk, I might even give you another chance.
