Lore

Just no!

I gave this a star because the premise and the start of the film isn't entirely bad. But it deteriorates as it goes on and the ending is probably the worst I have ever seen. There is no pay off for enduring this boring nonsense. Nothing is explained. No resolution. Just hocus pocus faux mystery. The acting isn't bad but the story is abysmal.

I was not expecting a lot with this and so I wasn't very disappointed. Acting is not good. Script is very weak. The scenarios you watch dont have a lot of realistic charachter choices. Plot is driven by stupidity of the mom mostly. Has a couple creepy scenes in the woods but they are short lived. I wouldn't recommend this one. Last resort if you can't find anything else.

"Ann" (Lyndsey Lantz) and "Rich" (Max Lesser) set off into the depths of the wilderness in search of their missing son. They don't have the best of relationships anymore, but luckily encounter a native American who helps focus their efforts and helps them with their search. Along the way, though, twigs start to snap in the night; the animals start to behave quirkily (maybe they've seen the script?) and gradually we begin to realise that they are encroaching on a tribal sanctuary and the spirits ain't happy... There is some lovely photography of the forests, but the story is weak and rambling and their search is completly devoid of any sense of menace. Indeed, neither of them are actually deserving of preservation from whatever it is stalking them, and after about thirty minutes I began to wonder if the son hadn't had the right idea in the first place. Native American folklore must be deserving of better - this is rotten.

I thoroughly enjoy outdoor movies as I like the majesty of the scenery, so in that aspect this film is a solid 7. But as for being a decent horror/paranormal movie it just doesn't get it done. The movie is basically one long walk and at the end of the walk you find yourself wondering how the hell you got to the end as it has no closure and it a waste of an hour +.

I think there are plenty of horror films out there with jump scares and action, action, action to fulfill your needs if you want to turn off your brain and just take a roller-coaster ride. Thankfully too, there are films like Lore that present open ended conceptional horror. These are films have you question what really went on and come up with your own interpretation of events.

Unfortunately, films like this, "Kill List" and "The Void" will never be as popular because we've been conditioned to think that character conversations and endings that challenge your intellect are boring and weak storytelling, a common fault with American audiences who have been trained that films must follow a rigid "beat structure" to be any good. If Lore had been a European film, it certainly would have received much more attention.

If you like to think, give this film a shot.

If you don't, please go see latest Hollywood bing-boom-bang.