Mistério da Rua 7

Existentialist horror film from director Brad Anderson ("Session 9") and writer Anthony Jaswinski exploits the all too understandable human fear of the dark. It stars Hayden Christensen as Luke (a reporter), Thandie Newton as Rosemary (a physical therapist), John Leguizamo as Paul (a movie theatre employee), and newcomer Jacob Latimore as James (a 12 year old son of a barmaid). They're brought together in a bar when mysterious forces overwhelm the city of Detroit, turning daytime into the night time. Also, dark spirits seem to be everywhere, and the human population of the city has mostly disappeared (leaving only piles of clothes behind). These four people must ponder such questions as why this has happened and why it's the four of them that are left, in addition to struggling to survive.

Anderson creates such spooky atmosphere and tension that it's a shame that the film doesn't work better than it does. This viewer would agree with others that it does feel like an unfinished script, and it leaves people wanting to know what comes next. Obviously, Jaswinski and Anderson aren't about to really explain anything in this slim story, which in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, but then our four main characters are never fleshed out that much. Therefore, it's hard to maintain much rooting interest in them, despite the best efforts of this cast. Still, you do feel for Rosemary and James to some degree since they don't know the fates of their son and mother (respectively). The film is very well shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio by Uta Briesewitz, with the lighting never revealing more than it should, and the visual effects are generally well done. One of the main problems is that the set-up is just too familiar to be that engaging. For one thing, the piles of clothes left behind automatically calls to mind "Night of the Comet" from 26 years previous.

Look for Andersons' filmmaking peer Larry Fessenden as a bike messenger.

Six out of 10.

This movie is really mysterious and starts with great promise - people disappearing in the darkness - well, this is frightening. It is not too logical - some things do happen but somehow contradicts the story logic (ie. small girl with solar powered flashlight somehow survives even if there is mentioned that the Sun rises only for a few hours, hardly to recharge the flashlight).

All right. I'm willing to accept even less logical movies like Japanese horror movies which often do not respect time or actual causality. However these movies usually do try to explain what his happening and why it is happening (with several theories how to resolve the situation, often wrong).

But there is hardly any explanation here, only "signs" which may be interpreted in many ways. The ending is sudden, hardly explains anything and left me unsatisfied. Is the happening local or global? Is it transitory or final? Is it demonic or end of the world caused by God? The movie focuses on (not too successful) attempts to survive but provides way too few answers. The feeling is depressing, which is good, but I really lack the climax. The ending was somehow abrupt and unsatisfactory. I like it, but it is only "good", not "great".

While parts of the movie peaked my interest, overall, it was very disappointing. A vague plot, poor script, weak effects and actors trying their best to make it work. Too bad they failed. A movie with this premise has great potential, it can lead the viewer down a path and let the audience intellectually fill in the blanks. In order for that to occur, the movie itself must provide the plot points, the material that that allows, and draws the viewer to want to connect the dots and create, so to speak, their own movie within a movie. I just gave up, and so, apparently, did the filmmakers. I won't gave away anything, because there really isn't anything to tell.

Why nut burn stuff for light. They had a entire city full of wooden objects to burn for light. Even if this was set in a rural area, they could've collected wood to burn at night.

The movie is creepy and dark and functions well without shock moments and the spilling of blood. There is some solid acting and the characters are not totally unbelievable, though they appear a little like the usual all-American suspects. I definitely don't agree with the frequent criticism that the movie lacks an explanation. The lack of an explanation is the actual concept of the movie. If the movie provided one, it would be as much fun as looking at a filled-in sudoku. The viewer is given food for thought by the different explanatory approaches done by the movie characters. I liked the reference to the "lost colony"-case, a historical oddity concerning the unresolved vanishing of a group of early settlers in America. I agree that the ending can be understood in a way that makes it seem cheesy - I interpreted it differently and so for me it was satisfying. I don't want to give anything away so let me just say as much: In my opinion no one survives at the end, but that certainly is disputable. My rating is a solid 6, although I was tempted to give more just to lift the overall rating since imo it is undeserved.