They Reach

There was some good production values. There is an actual film crew. There are crane shots. Drone shots. Steadicam, handheld, dolly and tracking shots. There is good lighting. This was not shot on cellphones. So kudos to a decent DP.

The set design is very good. Lots of dank spaces like basements and libraries. The effects, as sparse as they are, are not distractingly horrid. The costumes (other than the cop uniforms) are fairly accurate.

The acting is a mixed bag. Some players are better than others. And this isn't Shakespeare. But you can tell that they filled out the cast with crew, friends or amateurs.

The plot is a bit schlocky. At times it is lighthearted and whimsical. Then it ramps up the tension or gets zany. But the story is more about the kids fumbling around the town with a supernatural mystery to keep them busy.

Oh, and the soundtrack is pretty spectacular for a lower-budget film.

It's not great. But it gets points for effort.

Full disclosure: I am from the PNW and my friends and colleagues are part of the cast & crew. I am extremely proud of the work they put into this film. We are not a large market up here. We do not have large (or often any) budgets to work with. So to see a finished product this polished gives me hope for future endeavors.

I can see that great care was taken in terms of set design, cinematography, and definitely score. My kingdom for a soundtrack!

The story is entertaining and certainly kept me engaged. I agree with other reviews that mentioned a Stranger Things vibe. Overall I think the acting was good. There were some things that worked better than others for me, but I think the 3 kids have a bright future in acting if they choose to continue.

Special kudos for the poster on the bedroom wall of "The Brain That Wouldn't Die"! ⭐😁👍🏻

Don't take this too seriously and you will enjoy. I watched it blind and it held my attention from start to end. It is a bit of a mess at times but overall an enjoyable flick. Casting is good. Characters are likeable. Female lead is definitely the standout. FX are competent. Storyline is a bit silly almost to the point that it appears diliberate? Maybe a tongue'n'cheek tribute to Stranger Things/Goons genre? If you like those I am sure you will enjoy this.

A lot of reviewers, some of whom, I supect have not seen this film, have, in my opinion, been very unfair to it. "They Reach" is by no means a bad little horror film.

There's a real "Stranger Things" meets "The Goonies" vibe on offer here, rounded out with a 70's nostalgia trip, that's done extremely well. This is balanced by surprisingly excellent acting from younger cast members in particular, who really steal the show.

The horror effects are nothing special but they don't really need to be. In spite of the blood and minor gore, this is on a certain level a dark horror comedy. Its not supposed to be taken too seriously.

In short this ones a winner. Its inherently likable, watchable and entertainingly silly in a scary demonic kind of way.

7/10 from me.

Temper your expectations and you can find this one quite enjoyable! The acting is good, the story is simple, solid, and fun, the look is great(camera work, color grade), and the music holds it all together quite well.

This definitely has a bit of a Stranger Things vibe but it certainly has it's own direction and feel, if not an entirely different sort of motivation. The story isn't entirely predictable, which is nice.

Overall, if you like the horror/mystery genre I think the odds are good you would enjoy this movie as well.