The Cohasset Snuff Film

I think that the reason a lot of people gave this movie high credit is it is topical... dealing with school killings, which is sure to strike a chord with many Americans. I checked it out based on one such recommendation. I was told it was a daring insight into the mind of a school killer and that you could watch the decline of the kids mind through the progression of the story. Frankly... BS. The character's decline is more like one step from a comic villain into a only slightly more villainous comic villain, and the acting is so god awfully hammy I actual didn't know whether to find it funny or painful. A couple of the support characters don't do a bad job, although most are less than sterling performers... but the lead... :P All the director needed to add was a maniacal laugh as he wrings his hands. Nor is it daring. This has been done, several times, and several times it has been done so much better. Don't believe the hype... this movie is just tripe, but if you are an American teenager... well, you might think it is good.

I've seen a lot of horror films, from mainstream to low budget indie, but I won't call myself an expert. I will say though that if you go into this movie expect a gory, blood gushing slasher, you're not going to get what you are looking for. Perhaps the best way to describe this movie is more psychological thriller with a tinge of horror. This movies doesn't delve too deeply into the gruesome, but rather adheres to the old adage "what you don't see can scare you." It doesn't go for cheap jumps like most of the mainstream horror films do now but rather studies the inner workings of what drives people to commit these crimes through the "found footage" genre. While it may not be in the highest of production values, it does emphasize in the character and story structure which is what is needed in this genre. Take the time to watch this movie, but don't let it M. Night Shyamalan you into expecting what it isn't.

A normal 17 year old growing up in the USA would be studying, playing sports or possibly designing the latest app but Collin Mason from Cohasset in Massachusetts has other ideas involving the demise of his class mates.

The Cohasset snuff film reminds me of the blair witch project because of it's personal camera cinematography and the horror combination but another likeness is not knowing if it's real or acted.

The movie is based around Collin with snippets of interviews from people close to events or have something to add, collin describes his hate rid for others and the end result is quite chilling.

The movie is very well constructed considering the budget and if you like real horror and extreme violence this is well worth watching.

Firstly, is anybody really going to shed any tears when the "found footage" genre finally dies its long overdue death? Anyhow, I was prompted to add my thoughts after looking through the written reviews here and felt some things really needed to be added.

1. This film has an average rating of 3.0 from 26 users

2. The written reviews rated this film at 9, 8 and 9

3. Each of these reviewers have a total of one, and only one, review on IMDb.

4. Subtract these three review scores from the total and the average rating drops to 2.3 - which is the level that should trigger alarm bells. It ain't easy to score that low here.

5. The one external review (horrornews.net) tries to be as polite as it can, but does raise some other points of interest which are not mentioned in the IMDb user reviews: the absence of film credits; that the "based on a true story" claims fall apart on investigation; and, quote: "Essentially what this film is, is a collection of the Youtube videos that follow Collin Mason from being a snot-nosed teen into his self recorded murder exploits".

6. The horrornews.net review has only one comment from a person under the pseudonym "CinematicCritic", claiming to be a horror cinema connoisseur and reviewer but offering no credentials or links, who attempts to reassert that yes, this is indeed based on real life but, again fails to provide references. The rest of the rather long comment has to be read to be appreciated as an exercise in true shill-craft.

My final thoughts. Horror fans are a fickle bunch. And there is a golden rule no aspiring new film maker should ever break. Don't take us for a ride by feeding us false premises and praise for one's own genius. We have long memories and we don't often get fooled twice.

I watched this film thinking it was going to be a typical made up blood and gore film. It was not. It was more of a look into the mind of a serial killer and watching as he fell deeper into insanity. I felt it was very well put together, and kept me interested throughout the entire movie. I recommend this film to anyone who is fascinated with the psychological aspect of serial killers. If slasher films are your thing, you may be disappointed though. Otherwise, this one is not a waste of time. I found myself very focused and had actual reactions while watching this movie. It gets into your mind and you can almost feel what the people in the movie feel, which makes it chilling. 7 stars for sure.