Cam

I was beginning to think this was one of those dark web films (a la Unfriended 2) with a rushed ending, and I wasn't exactly proved wrong. The ending clearly was rushed, and it DID NOT provide closure. Spoiling it also doesn't make sense because you sat through 85 minutes to understand the reasons for all that was happening. I do not mean to say I dislike films with ambiguity, but this was not even ambiguous in the 'clever film-making' sense.

So, we have a webcam girl who wants to make it to the top 50 of some free-girls-live kind of site without having to resort to too many cheap tricks. But desperation eventually gets her there but then, the internet decides to teach her a lesson. A replica of herself is found having taken over her account on the site, and there's apparently no explanation as to why. While the technicalities are conveniently not discussed/rushed towards the end, the girl (Madeline Brewer, who does a pretty great job) breaks down emotionally to the point of being driven marginally insane. While the story-line is intriguing and director Daniel Goldhaber manages to set things up reasonably well (the brother's birthday scene was top notch), he struggles when it comes to the ending.

An internet-doppelganger is a pretty amazing concept (worth tackling in the present day), and it does invoke the vibe of 'Black Mirror' to a fair extent. However, as a viewer, I was left aghast by that nearly terrible final act. It even seemed like the writer(s) ran out of ideas/story-telling devices to take the film forward and provide a more satisfying conclusion. That's the problem with 'concepts'. They can make you want to watch a film but unless executed decently, it'll appear half-baked. This is exactly what happens in the case of 'Cam'.

While I love films that discuss doppelgangers, this one wholly lacked the tension it was supposed to build. In the end, it just turned out to be one of those films that lacked the cinematic finesse you expected it to have in the first place. The overwhelming number of positive reviews do not help either.

Cam (2018) follows a camgirl who awakes one day to discover she's been replaced on her show with an exact replica of herself. This horror film introduces a haunting and highly intriguing scenario. Although the mystery itself is captivating, the conclusion is underwhelming as the film avoids any delivery of answers. The direction and cinematography were surprisingly fantastic, with the aesthetic of the cam rooms making for some beautiful shots and sets. I also really enjoyed the social commentary on how online sex workers are viewed and how they're forced to lead dual lives due to the stigma associated with the profession. Some better writing and a more solid third act could really change this film from good to great.

Sometimes you watch a film, and you don't fully understand it, and you certainly wouldn't be able to explain or describe it, Cam is certainly one of those films, but despite those points I enjoyed it. It's a different setup, sometimes people wake up and don't know who they are, where they are etc, Lola wakes up, and finds that someone's pinched her webcam details, and bizarrely is somehow imitating her.

I didn't have a clue what was going on half the time, and it seemed the writers didn't either, they hit upon a great idea, but couldn't fully explain what exactly was going on, the ending had me scratching my head, asking, so what exactly was that all about, was Tinker actually involved?

Ultimately though, who cares, sometimes a film is just ninety minutes of unexplained entertainment, if you're someone that wants a conclusion, and to know every detail, this would certainly drive you nuts.

Madeline Brewer did a fine job as Lola, I wonder if she knew exactly what was happening? She gave the character some real depth, what appears to be a shallow girl on the surface, is a complex, thoughtful character.

Rather good, 6/10

The movie starts well. You might be waiting for the part from synopsis which says that a look-alike takes over, but the initial character development of Madeline does help set the tone of how important the job is for Madeline. Her transformation from less confident to dealing with a difficult problem is nicely sketched.

There is a weird scene in the movie, where friend of Madeline, asks Madeline to take pics of her and then later when she looks at the snap, she says, "I look so blotchy" and proceeds to fix her photo, even though Madeline repeatedly clarifies that she looks fine. This is weird because this scene is highlighted and it creates a feeling that later in the plot, it might show you that her friend was involved somehow. Anyways, that what I thought.

5 is for good cinematography. Could have been better with some more skip-the-beat thrills.

Good plot, amazing actress, but the ending basically doesn't explain anything. It's like the movie has been cut into two halves except the second half is none existent