A Enviada do Mal

One my my favorite horror films of the last decade was 2015's "The Witch", I loved how the movie set a dark tone that continued to get darker and darker as the movie progressed. I don't mind horror films that are a little lighthearted or even a bit humorous, however I really love when a horror film decides to just be dark & dreary as possible without ever really making you feel like things are going to get better. "February" does not quite pack the punch the The Witch had but it is still a very interesting film with a pitch black tone.

The film follows Kat and Rose, two girls at an all female boarding school who are left alone at the school when their parents fail to pick them up for break. From there things take a bit to really get going, the film moves at a very slow pace however I thought that worked and matched the tone well. There really isn't much action or shock scenes, but for me that just made the shock scenes even better when they finally did happen. There was one scene in particular that kind of just pops out of nowhere and actually gave me chills a bit.

I honestly don't have a lot to say about this film, but at the same time I really felt the need to write review because this is one that stuck with me and had me still thinking about it a few days after viewing it. It's not perfect, the pacing won't be for everybody and I'm sure many people will find it too drab and depressing to get any enjoyment out of it. But I really liked it and think it does a good job of standing out in a genre that is filled with too many cliché films.

7/10

It's an ambitious movie, and early on the scenes underscore that the scenes will emphasize the unspoken, with long, uncomfortable pauses. Shot mostly at night, and in a nonlinear method, it's very confusing at first, and the ending doesn't provide the payoff you're hoping for. Some reviews here try to fill in the gaps the filmmaker left, and it's unfortunate that that's needed. There's talent on the screen, and it's been wasted. Near the end there's an attempt to explain the murky as Satanism, with the local priest doing an exorcism, which isn't the norm, but it's like so many films that sculpt a dark mystery without a clear path out. A bit dismaying in the end. The British call this Too Clever by Half, ie, failure.

Much appreciated. Sophisticated and subtle. Great job in the sound department.

Those who have not witnessed Kiernan Shipka's talent in "Mad Men" will surely find here some convincing material to make up their minds. The other two main actresses were also remarkable, however for exclusively aesthetic reasons, I must add.

Concerning the plot, I believe it is important to emphasize its non linear nature : a key element to reconstruct the overall "Stimmung".

I must criticize the trailer, despite having been convinced by it to approach the movie in the first place; the allusions to "erotic charge" are deeply misleading and cast a negative influence on the viewers, distracting them from the main, yet hidden, theme of the movie : the Occult. I rarely experienced a more discrete and effectively symbolic handling of such a complicated and debated matter. The way the Occult's first appearance on the scene is connected to the principal plot twist is also deeply satisfying. The final scenes also need to be focused on : they both bring the missing pieces in the plot and offer an open, surprising end.

My only critic would regard the excessive abundance of implicit hermeticism : some traits of the story could and should have been properly expanded (Kat's parents, some more details about Rose, a more complete view of the boarding school, the true origins of Kat's "sickness", just to make a few examples).

Im glad I found this movie; unfortunately it had a limited release and there was not much buzz about it. So when I found it, I did not expect much. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Although there is not much originality, it was well done and made me uncomfortable!

The tone of the movie was dreadful and was beautifully supported by the score, the cinematography, and the acting. The pace of the movie was slow, but the payoff was excellent. No cheap jump scares, the right amount of gore, and a clever plot.

Horror fans should definitely give this movie a watch!

* TBD is an interesting film that is GUARANTEED to polarize horror lovers. It's a very simple narrative from a story standpoint, but what it lacks in narrative it's saved in spades by atmosphere and mystery. This is more of a psychological-thriller than a splatter-fest or hack-and-slash.

* So let's get the obvious out of the way, yes, it's a slow movie. It's a slow burn and I'd even say the climax is rather tame (not lame) in terms of gore/excitement/reward. Yes, it builds to a somewhat bloody climax but it's not balls to the wall crazy, so I'm afraid some will think the slow burn 70 minute build up isn't worth the wait.

* The movie is a classic case of style over substance. The gray color palette and dreary snow gives the movie its potent atmosphere. Throw in a great soundtrack/score (note: the music isn't like "It Follows" where you can listen to individual tracks). This movie's music perfect compliments specific scenes and builds some tension. It's a great addition even if it's not something I would go to Youtube and listen to compared to other horror soundtracks.

* This is a good slow burn horror movie, it's not perfect (mostly because the story is bare bones), but it's definitely watchable thanks to the three female leads. All of them are fantastic! So if you think you can handle a slow burn (with a more thought provoking climax opposed to a splatter fest) then this is something you should check out!