63 recensioni
Hail to producer, writer, director Brian Hanson for 'The Black String'! Wow, this was much creepier than anticipated. The film plays like a nightmare. It is weird at times, but effectively so. The make-up is very good as well s the visuals and practical effects.
Frankie Muniz is incredibly good as Jonathan. He completely sold the story - and his dilemma - to me, and I believed his agony and horror. This is a uniquely different horror film. Some scenes are grotesque, while others are simply nail biting suspense.
Frankie Muniz is incredibly good as Jonathan. He completely sold the story - and his dilemma - to me, and I believed his agony and horror. This is a uniquely different horror film. Some scenes are grotesque, while others are simply nail biting suspense.
- paulclaassen
- 13 nov 2019
- Permalink
Oded Fehr is in this movie, but isn't listed anywhere or on anything! Why? X.
The film itself is an interesting idea, but there are large chunks that could have been cut and it would have made NO difference to the film. Some of the effects were very good, but some were awful. I really enjoyed the imagery of the 'visions/hallucinations' and wanted more from that and the mythos behind it. It can be quite gory in places, so if that's not your thing, this might not be the film for you.
It's an interesting horror movie with elements of different genres, but it isn't going to change the world or cinema any time soon.
The film itself is an interesting idea, but there are large chunks that could have been cut and it would have made NO difference to the film. Some of the effects were very good, but some were awful. I really enjoyed the imagery of the 'visions/hallucinations' and wanted more from that and the mythos behind it. It can be quite gory in places, so if that's not your thing, this might not be the film for you.
It's an interesting horror movie with elements of different genres, but it isn't going to change the world or cinema any time soon.
- raven_guest
- 13 set 2023
- Permalink
This could have been a real B-dud, but a good script, a capable director and crew with talented, believable actors really pulled it off! With minimal sets, props or special effects, this is a truly suspenseful thriller from beginning to end. Frankie delivers a solid, sympathetic persona as Jonathan, dragging the audience with him as he desperately fights to find solutions to increasingly insurmountable circumstances. We are completely drawn into this story as it unfolds. I had low expectations to start, having been disappointed many times with other "thrillers," but was very pleasantly surprised by this edge-of-your-seat thriller. I really hope we'll see much more of Frankie Munizin future films, because he's really exhibited his award-winning talent here. I was rooting for Jonathan all the way, from beginning to the very end. Not a typical horror movie, thank goodness, although not a good choice for young children. I found it quite entertaining and worth my time. Grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy!
- dainamariebradley
- 1 mag 2021
- Permalink
After hooking up with a random woman, a guy in a dead end job finds his life falling into a weird and menacing decline ...
Vivid tale of psychosis that flashes back and forth between the occult and the mundane. The pace and energy are right up there, helped by sophisticated editing and well judged music, as the upbeat opening descends into frantic flight. The lead performance is good, with that anxious little face delivering some real aggression.
As a straight look inside a mental breakdown, this is very good, and the confrontations with concerned outsiders brings home the ashamed escape from uncomfortable truths that addicts suffer. There's also a clever dig at self-help books, where the original life affirming recommendations are reversed in a survival guide to witchcraft.
The story does take it further than distorted realism, into gothic horror, with a distinct vibe of Lynch about the mysterious characters who circle the hero in his desperate paranoia. But these figures remain on the surface of his delusion and don't really stand for anything in his own life, and so it remains an old-fashioned story with no feedback from the mysterious other side. There is some corroboration of an alternate reality, but in the end it's a clumsy balance. For a more skillful walk along that separating line in madness, check out Unsane by Steven Soderbergh from the same year.
Overall: Well produced terminal journey into madness.
Vivid tale of psychosis that flashes back and forth between the occult and the mundane. The pace and energy are right up there, helped by sophisticated editing and well judged music, as the upbeat opening descends into frantic flight. The lead performance is good, with that anxious little face delivering some real aggression.
As a straight look inside a mental breakdown, this is very good, and the confrontations with concerned outsiders brings home the ashamed escape from uncomfortable truths that addicts suffer. There's also a clever dig at self-help books, where the original life affirming recommendations are reversed in a survival guide to witchcraft.
The story does take it further than distorted realism, into gothic horror, with a distinct vibe of Lynch about the mysterious characters who circle the hero in his desperate paranoia. But these figures remain on the surface of his delusion and don't really stand for anything in his own life, and so it remains an old-fashioned story with no feedback from the mysterious other side. There is some corroboration of an alternate reality, but in the end it's a clumsy balance. For a more skillful walk along that separating line in madness, check out Unsane by Steven Soderbergh from the same year.
Overall: Well produced terminal journey into madness.
- christiancerna-08964
- 28 set 2019
- Permalink
There are horror movies where you really have to suspend your disbelief - way more than with others that is. Especially I reckon for fans of Muniz, who know him from something completely different. Sometimes it is quite tough to imagine a certain person as something else.
Also I reckon because of that or generally will not buy into the character he's portraying. But if you can overcome all these obstacles, there is some "fun" to be had. There is enough tension and there is ambiguity and enough horror plus thrill to keep this going til the end ...
Also I reckon because of that or generally will not buy into the character he's portraying. But if you can overcome all these obstacles, there is some "fun" to be had. There is enough tension and there is ambiguity and enough horror plus thrill to keep this going til the end ...
Wasn't too bad. Well not bad enough for me to turn it off. I actually finished this film. I almost turned it off until I realized thankfully I only had a few minutes to go. Was pretty boring. If Frankie Nunez wasn't in this film I wouldn't of watched it. He did a pretty good job.
- Draysan-Jennings
- 23 set 2019
- Permalink
For some reason the reviews on here are trending negative. This is a paranoia-fuelled nerd ride to hell as the main character is in a dead end job bored to death with his best friend telling him he needs to get laid. One night he gets high and the TV tells him to phone a number to meet some mystery girl. He does. Chaos ensues. Evil abounds. Bad ending for my dude. It's a solid movie. It doesn't try to be huge. It is what it is. I rate it fully. Peace.
You know the deal with Amazon Prime Video, let's say that the quality of the films on offer aren't exactly going to set the world on fire. When I watch something on this platform I often find myself wondering "why the hell am I watching this crap?" But every now and then Amazon Prime throws up a decent movie and The Black String is one of those rare occasions.
The main protagonist is a lonely, sex-starved liquor store clerk. He has little in his life except his drawing and his job. One night, in desperation, he calls a "sexy singles in your area" hotline and, as luck would have it, hits the jackpot by going out on a date with an actual sexy single (and she IS sexy.) His luck continues when he actually gets to have sex with the sexy single, to him it's nigh on miraculous.
His luck runs out however when he wakes up to find her gone, leaving him with a very nasty rash. An STD? That quickly? Believe me when I say, he's going to wish it was an STD before the end of this film.....
The Black String is one of those ambiguous films where the protagonist is either the genuine victim of a conspiracy or simply as mad as a lorry. It doesn't make it easy on the viewer as every event could be interpreted either one way or the other. Even with the very downbeat ending it can be interpreted either way and, incidentally, the ending is very downbeat indeed.
It's actually not a bad film. It kept me entertained, the story was good, the acting decent and it held my attention throughout. There was very little gore, except for right at the end, but it wasn't gratuitous in any way. So, it's well worth a look.
The main protagonist is a lonely, sex-starved liquor store clerk. He has little in his life except his drawing and his job. One night, in desperation, he calls a "sexy singles in your area" hotline and, as luck would have it, hits the jackpot by going out on a date with an actual sexy single (and she IS sexy.) His luck continues when he actually gets to have sex with the sexy single, to him it's nigh on miraculous.
His luck runs out however when he wakes up to find her gone, leaving him with a very nasty rash. An STD? That quickly? Believe me when I say, he's going to wish it was an STD before the end of this film.....
The Black String is one of those ambiguous films where the protagonist is either the genuine victim of a conspiracy or simply as mad as a lorry. It doesn't make it easy on the viewer as every event could be interpreted either one way or the other. Even with the very downbeat ending it can be interpreted either way and, incidentally, the ending is very downbeat indeed.
It's actually not a bad film. It kept me entertained, the story was good, the acting decent and it held my attention throughout. There was very little gore, except for right at the end, but it wasn't gratuitous in any way. So, it's well worth a look.
- midnightmosesuk
- 22 ott 2023
- Permalink
- Headturner1
- 14 set 2019
- Permalink
- nogodnomasters
- 1 ott 2019
- Permalink
Muniz is excellent in his role with his portrayal of desperation as all his roads to get away are seemingly closed but keeps you unknowing if his running away from what he perceives is real or in his head. You learn early on, so no spoiler, that he had issues in high school. But these are not explained and may not have been issues at all. No one close to him seems trustworthy to me or maybe I was thinking wrongly too. The utter desperation he feels make this quite an emotional wrenching film. This is classed as a horror film. It was for me.
Yes it took me by surprise. Muniz coming from a sitcom I have never watched still seemed to be tagged by it before watching. That was kicked away very quickly. I am not sure if his required use of a bicycle at times was slapping you in the face for having pre restrictions of what you thought a child actor could achieve in later life and calling you an idiot. If it was they did it very well and I felt a bit of guilt for thinking this was a film I would turn off after ten minutes.
But I digress. The film itself was very unnerving and disturbing for me. Some of the editing from scene to scene at times seemed abrupt. It could have been that was the intention. But it didn't sit well with me at times.
Overall the story was kind of take or leave it. You watched it and raised more questions than answers. When a film does this badly it is awful. This did it quite well. Made me think s lot. If you want a mindless slasher movie look elsewhere. It's not for you. Keep walking. Nothing to see here. Anyone who wants a film that surprises you how good it is and leaves you wondering whether you liked it or not this is ideal.
6/10. Maybe a 7/10 but I had some issues with the editing.
- mulcahyj-07545
- 6 giu 2020
- Permalink
I was huge fan of 'Malcolm in the Middle' back in the day. I maintain it is one of the best television shows made in the last 20 years. I had seen very little of Frankie Muniz since then though so when I spotted a mystery/horror/thriler with his name on the header I couldn't resist checking it out. To be honest I kind of wish I hadn't. It wasn't great at all.
The first thing that blew me away was that Muniz hasn't aged a day. In fact if they filmed another season of 'Malcolm in the Middle' I'm pretty sure they could get away with picking up where they left off with him as an 18 year old. His acting style was always more suited to comedy though. In a more serious movie his line presentation isn't always as convincing as you'd like it to be.
The biggest crime 'The Black String' commits though is that it's boring. Even though there's enough going on, I was never invested in any of the characters to actually care. The film makes zero effort to introduce the characters and try to make them likeable. Add in some very poorly written and cliche-riddled dialogue and you have yourself a bit of tough watch of a film. Not one I'd recommend.
The first thing that blew me away was that Muniz hasn't aged a day. In fact if they filmed another season of 'Malcolm in the Middle' I'm pretty sure they could get away with picking up where they left off with him as an 18 year old. His acting style was always more suited to comedy though. In a more serious movie his line presentation isn't always as convincing as you'd like it to be.
The biggest crime 'The Black String' commits though is that it's boring. Even though there's enough going on, I was never invested in any of the characters to actually care. The film makes zero effort to introduce the characters and try to make them likeable. Add in some very poorly written and cliche-riddled dialogue and you have yourself a bit of tough watch of a film. Not one I'd recommend.
- jtindahouse
- 15 set 2019
- Permalink
It started out alright with normal people in normal circumstances and after that, just went totally "wacko", with really no rhyme nor reason. It basically went round and round in circles until it finished at a dead end. I found it a very unsatisfying watch, with very little sense to the plot. The acting was alright, the photography etc. was professionally done, but the plot was non-sensical. A downer, with no real point. Um . . . don't have sex with girls from "1-900" numbers ? Sex is evil ?
- terrazygotes-30881
- 25 ott 2019
- Permalink
The Black String is basically a horror movie about a socially awkward guy who meets a hot looking girl through a 900 number, and after this encounter his life gets very dark. It's also a movie about a descent into a sort of paranoid schizophrenia, with delusions of persecution, hallucinations, etc. Take your pick - horror film or mental illness. It wasn't a great movie, but interesting because of this split. You decide as you watch.
- elhonig-902-129896
- 30 dic 2021
- Permalink
The Black String It was not just one of the best independent films I've seen, but a very well done film of any kind.
Congratulations to producer-director-writer Brian Hanson and producer-writer-actor Richard Handley for their very impressive film
Frankie Muniz (Agent Cody Banks, Malcolm in the Middle) gave an excellent performance in the lead role. Chelsea Edmundson and Mary K DeVault were also very good in two of the larger supporting roles.
Congratulations to producer-director-writer Brian Hanson and producer-writer-actor Richard Handley for their very impressive film
Frankie Muniz (Agent Cody Banks, Malcolm in the Middle) gave an excellent performance in the lead role. Chelsea Edmundson and Mary K DeVault were also very good in two of the larger supporting roles.
This film sounds so unoriginal if you try and describe it to someone but in actual fact it has a lot of original aspects to it.
The big question of what is reality and what isn't remains unanswered until the very end which gives nice closure to the storyline.
Muniz was fantastic in his portrayal and because this isn't a blockbuster film sadly his excellent performance will go unnoticed but hopefully this will open some new avenues for him as an adult actor.
I've given the film a 7 but in all honesty it's probably a solid 6. I've given it a 7 to try and counter all of the low ratings from people. As someone who appreciates the art Muniz performance alone would be enough to earn a 4, combine this with a reasonably well written horror mystery and you've got a solid movie.
The big question of what is reality and what isn't remains unanswered until the very end which gives nice closure to the storyline.
Muniz was fantastic in his portrayal and because this isn't a blockbuster film sadly his excellent performance will go unnoticed but hopefully this will open some new avenues for him as an adult actor.
I've given the film a 7 but in all honesty it's probably a solid 6. I've given it a 7 to try and counter all of the low ratings from people. As someone who appreciates the art Muniz performance alone would be enough to earn a 4, combine this with a reasonably well written horror mystery and you've got a solid movie.
- enkhturd-30891
- 18 set 2021
- Permalink
- jenniferlynn-49555
- 28 nov 2019
- Permalink
- spookyrat1
- 25 apr 2022
- Permalink