The Attic

The only nail biting you will be doing in this movie will be if you get hungry and there's nothing to eat in the fridge. The acting is very weak and the story line is paper thin. There is very little suspense or thrills, and certainly nothing to make your heart race - or even go "bump" a little bit which makes for a very un-worthwhile film for anyone buying/hiring the video expecting those things. The wicca allusion was totally superfluous and the film's only "high" note for me was the appearance of Detective John Trevor (Jason Lewis)- but only because of his good looks. Overall, I was very disappointed with this movie and I wouldn't recommend it to other fans of the horror/thriller/supernatural genre.

After moving to an old house with her family, Emma Callan (Elisabeth Moss) is agoraphobic and haunted by a doppelganger that lives in the attic. Emma stops going to college and has friction with her father Graham (John Savage). When Emma is attacked by the ghost in the attic, she is sent to therapy with Dr. Perry (Thomas Jay Ryan) by her mother Kim (Catherine Mary Stewart); only Detective John Trevor (Jason Lewis) believes on her statement and he helps Emma to investigate her doppelganger. When her slow brother Frankie Callan (Tom Malloy) is slashed on the throat, Trevor gives a gun to Emma for her self-protection.

"The Attic" from the cult-director Mary Lambert is that type of horror movie that has potential but unfortunately fails. The main reason is the terrible development of the characters, and the viewer sees the series of weird events without knowing Emma, Graham, Frankie or Kim or their relationship, disclosed only in the end. The acting of important characters is very weak and does not help to save or at least improve the story. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Sotão" ("The Attic")

It was a great premise for a movie, but the acting totally dumped it. The script was pretty bag, but the acting for most of the characters was horrible. The brother was probably the best actor in the bunch. If only they had taken the time to put out a good product this would have been a heck of a sleeper. Maybe someone with an actual budget or at least actors who give a rip can do better with this story. Needed more back story, so many questions it wasn't even funny. We should have been told somehow about the history of the house, and the families histories would have been nice too. The psychiatrist was good and the father could have been better, as i have seen him do better as an actor,but i think he was calling this one in cause he felt it was full of garbage too. This was so bad that my kids even said it was the worst they have ever seen and they pretty much watch anything.

The film held my interest, I'll admit, but right from the beginning, you were left hanging as to what was happening. The so called psychosis of the main character was virtually unexplained from the beginning, the paramedic "ally" appeared all too conveniently and the Wiccan symbols were explained away like they had nothing to do with the plot.

What I did like, however, was that it wasn't the typical slasher film. I also enjoyed the complex nature of the circumstances-if they'd presented them better! I'd seriously consider a remake of this, tweaked, of course.

It's too bad the budget wasn't adequate.

I'd rather be locked in a room watching 'The Pumpkin Carver' for a year straight then to have to subject myself to this bullshit. I've never seen such horrible acting in my 25 years of existence and I pray that people read this before ever watching this "movie". I would rather gauge my eyes out with my toes...I needed to keep watching it to see what happens and I wish I could take back the 80 minutes of my life. All the crew that were involved in making this movie should be forced to be locked in a room for life repeating the movie over and over and be tortured. I've already wasted enough time in writing this blog about this monstrosity, but I needed to warn people!! 0 OUT OF 10.....HORRIBLE!