Flay

FLAY. FLAY. FLAY! I wish there were a little more blood and violence to really nail it in, but it does seem purposeful that the movie was going for the suspense and thrill. It works.

I normally wouldn't bother reviewing a movie this bland but since no one else has bothered so far, I'll take a few minutes and maybe save someone else 90 mins.

A junkie mother dies under mysterious circumstances which the movie in not one but two cold opens assures us was supernatural. After that, her daughter has to return home to settle some affairs and care for her rebellious teenage brother. The supernatural force which is barely Slender Man starts menacing them in a series of whatever scares that might land for very young viewers.

The acting, the story, everything is just unmemorable. It's not even that the movie is remarkably bad. It's just blah. When you picture grade Z horror made by people that were neither exceptionally incompetent nor remotely talented, this is exactly the movie you see.

The music gives me the creeps. The muted colors and the splash of red scenes are perfect for the mood. Loved every moment of it.

2019 has been a mess of a year so far and movies like Flay certainly aren't doing it any favors.

After the death of her mother a girl returns home, rekindles friendships, reunites with her estranged brother and battles a supernatural force.

Seen that before, but it's not normally this bad. The story is an absolute abomination, I can't stress just how much of a mess it is. At no point did I care where the story was going or the fates of any of the characters. In fact a lot of the time I really had very little clue as to what I was even watching.

Does that look like Slender Man on the cover? Well it is, kind of.........but this isn't a Slender Man movie. They just decided to throw him in because erm....reasons?

Awful plot, awful sfx, awful cast, just plain awful all round.

The Good:

That would be a no

The Bad:

Awful deaths

Rather boring

No originality

The story is your typical vengeance evil slaughter set up, and for what it's worth a decent story that would have made for a good paranormal horror had Pham not so desperately wanted to attach his film to the cultural craze happening around Slender Man. "Flay" offers up a varitable smorgasbord of bland melodrama and predictable schlock horror gimmicks in a blend of folklore and urban legend. Exploitation of Native heritage aside, a indigenous curse against Invaders that leeches its way through the centuries killing anyone who comes in contact with it or a cursed soul, is a great starting point.

Story aside, "Flay" doesn't balance out this flaw of flimsily blending horror tropes with great drama or situational substantial moments. A lot of the actions and dialog between characters seem off beat or out of step with what is going on at the moment. Some cast members seem less convinced about their character's predicament with one exception, the lead actress gives the best performance of all. And if you have to continuesly try and convince me how a Native American transforms into a Slender Man entity, and I still don't buy it, then maybe it's not the best creative choice to make conceptually.

Now to the fun stuff. The horror, the effects and the creepy things. "Flay" stays predictably within the familiar realm of paranormal mayhem. Scenes of sketchy jump scares, haunting spirits and plenty of CGI exploits are offered in an attempt to scare. With a lot of the used gimmicks the results vary. The jump scares fall flat, a couple got me, but the stuff I enjoyed was the typical ghosty tricks. Creepy spirit behind the victim, death scenes in traditional vengeful spirit fashion. As tacky as it may come I am a sucker for most of it. "Flay" is no exception. Overall this film will not be enjoyed by all. There is a lot wrong, but there are moments that shine. Go into it with an open mind and don't expect too much.