The Piper

Erlingur Óttar Thoroddsen must be commended, for he has written and directed a most intriguing adaptation of "Rattenfänger von Hameln."

The detail that affected me most while watching the film was the death of Julian Sands, who was in fact British and lived in England, while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains in the United States, where he was for the filming of this film... The film is not to blame, of course, but Sands was an actor I was most fond of.

I learned of the film thanks to a list by my dear Brett Petersel, I suspect its global promotion was poor, which is why it is so underrated.

Yes, it is not a cult classic, but it is an undeniable truth that it is a production that will satisfy horror lovers.

An uninspired horror film and the last screen appearance of the late Julian Sands, that explores the concept of music as a tool of evil through a reinterpretation of the popular story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Unfortunately, it lacks the suspense or imagination necessary to overcome its outdated visual style -unequivocally inspired by the typical mannerisms of 1990s Italian horror- and an alarming lack of effective scares. Furthermore, the Pied Piper's main appearance comes too late and is poorly justified. The most notable aspect, however, is Christopher Young's eerie and omnipresent score.

A passable supernatural and chilling thriller with terror , intrigue , twists , turns and lots of imaginative special effects. When a musician, Mel (Charlotte Hope), is tasked by his musical conductor (Julian Sands) with finishing her late mentor's concerto, she soon discovers that playing the music summons deadly consequences, leading her to uncover the disturbing origins of the melody and an evil that has awakened. At first, she assumes her assignment but soon discovers fateful consequences. In one moment, she experiences the incredible wonder imagination, and in the next, the horrific nature of her night terrors. To save her daughter Zoe (Aoibhe O'Flanagan) Mel embarks on a dangerous hunt to uncover the truth behind the terrible nightmares and a monstrous being that is followed by absorbed children. This is beyond you wildest nightmare ! .

¨The Piper¨ is a journey through the terror, possession, dreams and fears of a young classical music performer in which our starring discovers a deadly tune. It results to be a mix of horror, fantasy and drama. The creepy goods are delivered by ¨The Piper¨ who's projected into reality and often materializes in a horrible and deadly monster.

Charlotte Hope (The Nun) and Julian Sands (A Room With a View) star in this horror film that subverts the fable of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Charlotte Hope gives an agreeable acting as the young composer who is commissioned to complete the third movement of her late mentor's score left unfinished and discovers that playing those musical notes carries deadly repercussions . While Julian Sands -in his posthumous film- plays overacting, a demanding and cruel composer who will stop at nothing to get the aforementioned score. It contains adequate cinematography with plenty of darkness by Daniel Katz. As well as thrilling, frightening and suspenseful musical score by composer Christopher Young who's an expert on sinister atmosphere as proved in: The Tall Man, Drag Me to Hell, Sinister , Untraceable, The Uninvited, The Ghost Maker, Dominion and several others , The motion picture was uneven but professionally directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen. This Icelandic filmmaker has made other terror films, such as: Kuldi, Rökkur, Child Eater, Patient Seven. Rating: 5.5/10. The Piper is a creepy, claustrophobic and scary low- budget horror movie that will satisfy the not very demanding lovers of the genre.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin (also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. When a medieval town overwhelmed by rats, the citizens hire a magical piper who can rid the town of the pest in exchange for gold but the crooked mayor has no intention of honoring the deal . The Pied Piper uses his musical talents to lure the pesky rodents away from a small German town. The legend dates back to the Middle Ages, the earliest references describing a piper, dressed in multicolored ("pied") clothing, who was a rat catcher hired by the town to lure rats away with his magic pipe. When the citizens refuse to pay for this service as promised, he retaliates by using his instrument's magical power on their children, leading them away as he had the rats. This version of the story spread as folklore and has appeared in the writings of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the Brothers Grimm, and Robert Browning, among others. The phrase "pied piper" has become a metaphor for a person who attracts a following through charisma or false promises. There are many contradictory theories about the Pied Piper. Some suggest he was a symbol of hope to the people of Hamelin, which had been attacked by plague; he drove the rats from Hamelin, saving the people from the epidemic. A number of theories suggest that children died of some natural causes such as disease or starvation, and that the Piper was a symbolic figure of Death. Analogous themes which are associated with this theory include the Dance of Death, Totentanz or Danse Macabre, a common medieval trope.

Julian sands did okay as the deranged composer but Charlotte Hope dropped the ball as a main actress... she was terrible. Her facial expressions and reactions were amateur at best. However her dialogue and improve was good... it's weird a potentially good actress who cannot act... maybe it's just the way it's written but they should've had a coach to walk her through her expressions. Even if they had to be as tedious as rehearsing each reaction immediately prior to filming the scene. So much potential and what's more is I just finished watching strangers chapter 1 which was picked up by lionsgate... that movie was actually worse than "The Piper" so with the right production this movie could've actually been a really good movie... I gave them a B for effort and potential but an F on execution and acting... concept was great but the casting was horrific and not in the great horror movie way.

While the film scores points with its music details, The Piper isn't more than just a generic horror film.

I've always appreciated a film that has a specific focus on something that's supposed to be a crucial part of the story. In this case, Piper does so with its music. The particular haunting composition at the center of it has an especially haunting and unnerving air to it. Unfortunately the rest of the soundtrack doesn't have that same quality to it. We're given a film where the main focus is actually its only strong point..... Those who know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin will at least appreciate that there's a mild nod to it, but it's such a mild part of the movie, replaced instead by a clunky subplot involving a big orchestral performance and some family struggle moments. There was potential for growth, but it was ultimately squandered by the generic and safe approach taken with telling the main story. Plus, a lack of actual character personality makes most of the movie proceed at a sluggish pace.

There's a heavy reliance on jumpscares that just doesn't translate well to the finished product, especially where there were opportunities for visual flair or a stylish means of incorporating the music more heavily into it. Those familiar with the usual tired techniques of cursed things films will find plenty of that here, as well as other bits of yawn-worthy cliche and gimmickry. While there were a few bits of intriguing cinematography, it isn't often enough to warrant proper recommendation..... Acting was also subpar, with Julian Sands being criminally underutilized in his role as conductor Gustafson. There isn't enough visible skill in the performances for anything noteworthy.

The Piper is yet another forgettable film. It's not worth watching, especially with how little it makes use of the music at the center of it.