Amber's Descent

"Amber's Descent" is the story of Amber (Kayla Stanton), a musician who after a horrific incident involving her fiance, moves into a large house out in the country in order to recover emotionally and have some solitude to complete her symphony. The house needs some work, so handyman Jim (co-writer Michael Mitton) helps around the house. He seems nice, but wants to get closer to Amber than Amber wants him to. In the house, though, Amber begins to see apparitions; she hears music and sees a strange woman, parts of her symphony seem to be written without her remembering writing it, she has erotic lesbian encounters that may or may not be a dream... She tries to get people, like a local priest and her doctor, to help but everyone assures her that what's she's experiencing cannot be possible but she is convinced and tries to solve the mystery...

Movies that involve someone all alone experiencing things that nobody else experiences can only go in one of two directions. The events are happening and they are victims of the supernatural, or it's all in their heads, and then there are typically a couple of ways that resolves itself. "Amber's Descent" is nicely going down that path -- the events causing Amber to be in this house are played out well, Kaya Stanton does a wonderful jon making us care for Amber and empathize with her. And then, at about the 30 minute mark or so, the movie simply gives away which of the two options is happening. We give a heavy sigh, and then we spend the rest of the movie just waiting for the eventual reveal. And what's truly disappointing is that the movie actually had a totally original, really good reveal. It was clever and something I hadn't seen before and then they just chickened out, added a SECOND "ending reveal" which was a typical reveal in these type of movies andone we've seen dozens of times before. And then, for a pile-on, they added a THIRD "twist" at the end which basically just made things not make any sense at all.

This movie really feels like a victim of overthinking and trying to be too clever. Take out the early "give away what's happening" part and end the movie after the first "ending reveal" and this would be a pretty slick film. Almost hope the director pulls the movie back, re-edits it a little and re-releases it.

This film is nothing short of excitement and brilliance as the cast and crew deliver a well developed film that grabs for your attention from the very start. Without giving away any spoilers, the directors creativity allows the mind to venture in and feel as though you are a part of the movie in a orthodox Way. When it comes to getting an audiences attention, this film does exactly that this is a recommendation I would like I would recommend to all fans of the topic and also the fans of the Indie community. Very cleverly done and I give this film to thumbs up based off of the creativity that this movie provides along with a very well misdirection that causes a chain reaction of events.

Amber's Descent harkens back to the 1970's tonal horror films. In particular I am reminded of Let's Scare Jessica To Death. Albeit because of budget constraints and unfamiliar cast, these atmospheric horror films invoke unworldly vignettes set in small towns of nowhere in particular. It is the journey of the netherworld that helps define the film from start to finish. Where are we? What time frame does it take place in? It doesn't matter. In fact in any of these films the location can be a literal Dantesque hell from start to finish.

Like as with, Let's Scare Jessica to Death, Amber's Descent is really about a journey of her psyche. Is anything real? The over-the top characters and portrayals are cries from her emotional id. This is not a film that is supposed to have a clear point A to Point B. This is a film to get under your skin and and haunt you late at night watching it alone on a small TV in an old house in the country.

This is an anachronistic tale in the vein of all late night horror tales that I saw as a child and I still think about as an adult. Were they works of great cinema? No. Did they do their job and creep into my subconscious - yes.

In fact, like the character Amber, after all these years, I am uncertain if what I saw actually existed or was it my childhood innocence manifesting something for me to label as my fear?

I made it through the 92 minutes. No idea how. Guess I was hoping... for something. This movie is a mess.

"Descent" is a fitting title. I'm not sure if this is intended to be a horror movie or a documentary about dementia.

So refreshing to see original content. Great film .