The Black String

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.

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.

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 ...

I love movies that keep you guessing between possible narratives, and The Black String delivered without being overwrought or pretentious. Just fun characters, a well-paced story and a great balance of scares, suspense, and a few laughs.

There are no deep dives into character backgrounds, but it's not necessary. Everyone is likable or spooky enough to keep the plot moving. Muniz is a sympathetic protagonist, and you are pretty quickly sucked into his world. A few little hints at past events are adequate to add some depth. The bad guys are sufficiently menacing and the clerk buddy is good comic relief.

This film is a welcome respite from horror films that are trying too hard to win gold medals for suspense, gore, zeitgeist or twists. It's a worthy entry in the genre that the writers and director can be proud of and fans will enjoy.

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.