Mind Body Spirit

This was recommended to me by a few people on some Facebook groups, so I decided to give it a chance as I love found footage movies. The movie started pretty interesting, the set design was okay and the actor didn't really annoy me which was good enough for me to stick around. But then it kinda started repeating itself, the acting switched from acceptable to irritating (which could be purposefully done but I doubt it) and the movie itself started having an identity crisis. It was like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be, a found footage film or a regular movie with cinematic shots. The camera movements in many scenes made no sense whatsoever as realistically there was nobody around to move it like that. I was constantly asking myself "WHO is moving the camera????" which took me out of the movie in most of these shots. It was so blatantly obvious attempt of the director trying too hard to be cinematic. In the end, we got a jumbled mess that is hard to call it as a fine example of a found footage movie. Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this film. It's nothing you haven't seen before. It's not scary, it's not really found footage and it's not cleverly done whatsoever.

An aspiring yoga influencer goes to live in her late grandmother's house while working to elevate her channel and gain a following. A tale of jealousy and family demons, at times literally, is what follows. Mind Body Spirit is the latest in what seems like an endless slew of low budget found footage movies, and I'll start by saying that as far as that goes this one does manage to stand above the majority. Some fun and at times clever camera work and strong performances, especially by Sarah Barholomew, drive the movie and show that everybody involved has a lot of potential down the road. There are moments that are genuinely creepy, particularly a haunting hallucination involving one character witnessing varying versions of her own spiraling sanity. The downside is that the movie becomes more and more repetitive as it continues, and it breaks many a rule that is a no no to break in a found footage flick, particularly with its use of music. It also feels like a watered down version of Hereditary set in the found footage genre, but not being done as well it fails to live up to its obvious inspiration or provide anything unique to that story outside of the yoga setting. Mind Body Spirit has potential and is even worth a watch, but don't go in expecting anything above average which believe it or not is a compliment for this horror sub-genre.

Found footage is a favourite choice for film-makers with miniscule budgets because the medium lends itself well to thrifty movie-making. You can get away with not showing the monster clearly; not worrying too much about mise en scène; not having flashy special effects. This is largely what makes found footage work: it's raw, unfiltered and, above all, it feels genuine.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a growing number of found footage films where the creators have opted for the genre to save money, without actually considering what makes an FF film work.

Mind Body Spirit is one if these films. Ostensibly a collection of recordings from a wannabe YouTube star making wellness videos, the film falls at the first hurdle by completely undermining the idea that this is anything but a low-budget film.

It breaks a cardinal sin of Found Footage by having a soundtrack. There is ambient music and non-diagetic sound throughout, which immediately makes the film seem completely disingenuous. The filmmakers seem to have added it because, y'know, that's what happens in scary movies, forgetting that this is meant to be a series of candid, unedited recordings from an amateur filmmaker.

Then there are scenes which seem to be showing what's going on in the protagonists head, despite the fact that it makes no sense that the camera would capture them.

There was the scene with the "string", which featured such laughably unrealistic and entirely unnecessary special effects, it brought the while scene to a grinding halt.

And there are all the scenes where the camera moves in it's own, with no explanation, in just the right way to capture things in a cinematic way.

If you're going to make a found footage film, every single attempt you make to be more cinematic weakens the authenticity, and ultimately just reminds the viewer that they're watching a zero-budget indy movie.

Mind Body Spirit isn't necessarily a scary film, but it offers an intriguing and enjoyable watch. The storyline presents a unique concept that keeps the audience engaged, blending psychological tension with supernatural elements in a way that feels fresh. While it doesn't rely on outright horror, the film's atmosphere and themes create a sense of unease and curiosity.

I particularly liked the way the story unfolded, gradually pulling the viewer deeper into its mysteries. The execution was effective, making it an interesting film for those who appreciate thought-provoking narratives rather than pure scares. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience with a concept that stood out.

This movie had so much potential. But for me, it fell short. I rather enjoyed the ending, and the movie held my attention throughout. But I felt frustrated at the acting in some parts; in a lot of the scenes, it felt as though they didn't do enough takes; actors/actresses fail to feel real sometimes, and it felt like the director didn't wait until he got the right take.

Also, there were certain scenes that felt rather forced. And the end-twist, although very enjoyable to watch, could be seen coming a mile away.

I would have enjoyed this movie much more, had it been a 30 or 40 minute film in a VHS anthology.

Even though this movie has a fair amount of flaws, it was worth the watch; and I'm curious as to what the director will come out with next.