11

OK first of all this is my first time reviewing any movie on IMDb since this was so terrible I felt compelled to let people know how awful this was. I usually turn to IMDb for all movies Netflix, RedBox, or theatrical release and the reviews are usually pretty spot on. Anyways don't waste your time seeing this movie it has been done over and over to death. The visual effects were very poor being that Halloween just passed I saw scarier costumes on kids. Hollywood just please let these type of movies die already especially if your not going to put any creativity into the script. The acting is horrible it felt like a direct to video release (at least should be) all in all is a very predictable movie not scary whatsoever. If you don't mind wasting your time and money go see this, however if you are smart and must see this movie wait till it's on Netflix I promise you will thank me later.

You may or may not have bought into the false advertising campaign that is targeting young horror fans who think that they are going to see some apocalyptic event that occurs on the 11-11-11. If you are part of this target group, I am telling you now that you will most certainly be disappointed. This film is a slow-paced, methodical character-driven piece about the conflict between faith-based ideologies. Don't be tricked into thinking that this is going to be some exciting or thrilling popcorn adventure in the same vein as some of the other high budget apocalyptic films out there. Director Darren Lynn Bousman has himself said that he wanted to explore his own spiritual beliefs and conceptions about existence through this film.

We begin by following Joseph Crone (Timothy Gibbs), a popular novelist who is tormented by the death of his family through constant reoccurring nightmares and hallucinations. As seemingly random events begin to unfold in his life, Joseph struggles to cling onto any real purpose of his continuing existence. As he rapidly descends into a state of self-seclusion, he discovers a pattern in which all the events in his life are taking place. They appear to always happen at the set time of 11:11 am/pm. When his estranged pastor brother Samuel (Michael Landes) rings to tell him about his dying father, Joseph immediately travels to Barcelona. Here is where the story will perhaps turn south for most people. We spend a good 40 minutes of the film trying to decipher strange supernatural clues as we are subjected to long-winded seemingly pointless dialogue scenes. For some this may be incredibly boring, especially since the fact that apart from a few jump-scares and men in goblinesque costumes, the film is basically devoid of any horror or suspense. As the day of 11-11-11 approaches, events get weirder and weirder until the finale where a huge revealing twist is attempted but comes off looking incredibly schlocky.

Overall I'm pretty sure this film will flop badly. Due to its misleading nature, I feel that many people are going to rightfully flame this film in general. In my opinion it would have served better as a psychological drama about the descent of a rational man into madness. The twist would have been Joseph's self-realization that 11-11-11 has no meaning and it is just another number. Unfortunately the film favors a more unrealistic and perplexing ending that wasn't needed. There are however some redeemable qualities to the film such as the philosophical themes surrounding religion vs. society and also the talent of Timothy Gibbs to carry the film until the end despite many major flaws. I recommend that you watch this when it comes out on DVD so you can make up your own mind but I suggest that you consider the limitations of the budget (which couldn't have been more than $2 million).

2/5

The film has a great look, but the emphasis on numerology just wasn't substantial enough for my taste; it felt somewhat rushed, and the scares didn't get to me, but overall it was disturbing. I'd like to see his next film be a bit more focused and a slow-burn, as opposed to feeling jumbled at points. This movie could have easily been close to 2 hours, and could have really delved into the atmosphere. Again, I enjoyed the look and the acting was there, and I'm a big fan of his work, and the killer twist at the end makes up for other elements which were underwhelming in the film. Overall, it's a highly satisfying movie, and very different from any of Bousman's previous work.

American writer and atheist, Joseph Crone, receives word from his estranged brother, that his father is dying. He travels to Spain to see his father on his death bed, where he discovers that his younger brother has followed his fathers calling and become a catholic Pastor. Together they have established their own chapel on the grounds of their family home. Joseph's life has been plagued with strange happenings and tragedies, which seem to be connected to the number 11. His intrigue soon uncovers deeper mythological and religious significance to the number and possibly his family.

11-11-11 is written and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who previously brought us Saw 2 – 4 and the superb 2010 remake of Mothers Day. Bousman has made skillful use of popular synchronicity around the number 11, where numerologists and string theorists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than can be put down to mere chance or accident and has great symbolism in the universe.

The basic idea for the movie is engaging with lots of potential, unfortunately, this is where the films merits end. The plot becomes tedious and bland fast, holding this pace for the majority of the film. The scares consist of frightening faces appearing in the shadows or windows, but they fail to show any snap or shock value, becoming repetitive and tiresome early on. The special effects, especially the costumes and make up, feel amateurish and almost laughable a times. The acting and dialogue is decidedly mediocre, the characters are difficult to like or relate to in many ways. The twist ending of the movie was better than expected, however, it does not make up for its unexciting story and production short comings. Overall a great idea, wasted.

The successful American writer and atheist Joseph Crone (Timothy Gibbs) participates in a support group to accept the death of his beloved wife Sarah (Salomé Jiménez) and their son Diogo. Joe befriends Sadie (Wendy Glenn) in one of the meetings and she helps him when he has a car accident.

When Joe's estranged religious brother Samuel Crone (Michael Landes) tells him that their father is terminal, he travels to Barcelona to stay near the death bed of his father. Joe has visions of demons and with the number 11 and he finds that something evil will happen with Samuel and him on 11 November 2011.

"11-11-11" is a film with a promising premise, but with a messy and disappointing execution. The screenplay is boring and confused; the scary atmosphere with demons repeats several times along the film and becomes irritating; and the predicable plot point is hard to believe, disclosed in very fast pace and annoying. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "11-11-11"