The Harbinger

Don't think I've seen a movie quite like this. I read all the reviews (mostly positive but also said the movie was too long, not total horror, complicated plot, etc). I see all the negative scores here, so I decided to see which way I'd go. Wow. Not sure what to think here. But the tie-breaker is how I feel and the more and more I THINK about it, the more I think the movie succeeded. I'll give this dude credit. It's different. And you definitely need to be on your toes to follow. Good atmosphere throughout. I cared about the father and his relationship with the daughter. And the lore - that's the part that I think is so different. They put a LOT of thought and planning into this. I think I'm buying in. Will def watch again.

I don't vote for movies but I'm seeing an injustice here. I'm one of those few people who is a diehard horror fan and also enjoy mainstream or what I call lightweight or creepy PG-13 horror. But I think people usually fall into one camp or the other.

The distributor has put out a trailer that seems to be selling this to diehard horror fans. I think this is a mistake. There is a Mystique element to this movie, or Magical/Fantasy element, that doesn't fit the diehard horror or possession horror genre. This is not a possession movie (can't give spoilers). There is no graphic violence or gore, no F-bombs, not even "hide your eyes" jump scares (maybe one or two).

It is a character and plot driven supernatural mystery where you are invested in the main character's secrets, and the fact that he is being forced to do something he doesn't want to do in order to save his daughter from eternal damnation.

But if you know going in that it's PG-13, not diehard horror, is a character driven story (father fighting for his daughter), a plot driven story (lots of mythology and twists), some creepy vibes (and there's even some humor with the townspeople but can't give spoilers), good acting, and heart, then it's a good little movie.

Saw this at the Dances with Films Festival and decided to get it. It seems a lot of movies, especially horror, are all about the tropes being the main attraction with not much substance as the foundation underneath - which is why so many movies feel the same to me.

Every time The Harbinger hits a trope, it doesn't hone in and linger and make a big spectacle when it gets to it. It feels like just another stop along the way. The story continues on as if to say, "you think THAT was interesting, oh yeah, no, let us show you where we're going" (And yet it all ties in later). And it just keeps going until the movie hits its endgame, which is simply to tell an entertaining story with substance of plot, character, and theme (can't say what without spoilers).

Perfect example: the "possessed kid" trope- Been done a million times. They could've gone down any number of worn out paths with that trope and instead went a completely different direction. This is actually not a "possessed kid" movie but I won't say more.

I'm seeing comments this is more creepy than jump-scary. IMO that's pretty accurate, but for me you can have good and bad movies in both of those categories.

Big-budget Hollywood classic favorites of mine are 8 to 10, so this is a very strong 7 out of 10 and I could see it becoming an 8 or more over time.

Expectations play a large role in reaction to a film. This trailer makes this seem like a very fast-paced film. It's the opposite. The serious horror fans looking for fast-paced 'blood and guts' are now being replaced by people who just want to see a good movie. But even though the pacing starts slow, it is perfect, never once decreasing - every few minutes, it ramps the speed up a notch from slower to less slow, to medium, and so on, until finally intense and emotional at the very end. Rather than going after the low-hanging fruit of graphic gore and endless jump scares, this filmmaker has taken the more difficult road of substance storytelling and pulled it off. Off topic, it also has a unique style, some 'wink-wink' humor and theatricality that I appreciated.

I don't write reviews but disagree with the downvotes here. I'm getting from these comments the trailer misrepresents. I can see that. The actual movie has a lot of heart. And a crazy ass story. But I wasn't confused after they explained it. People just aren't patient. There is no mystery if you say it too early. Maybe it helps that I already heard it's hokey or corny or something but I really like the creepy feel of the movie too. I like the dad. I felt his emotions and the whole family. Everyone else is supposed to be over the top or weird or whatever but I always felt the family. And I love that you don't really know what's up with the family for the first part of the movie and it all comes together. For me cheesiness is ok if we like the people. I was rooting for them and that's why the cheesiness works for me. The family and the dad has a lot of heart. The girl is great too.