Static

The movie itself is well cast and bland.

The plot is basic and unfortunate.

The ending redeems it.

This all could have been abbreviated to an episode of the Twilight Zone.

I watched the trailer of the movie before deciding whether or not to give it a go and it intrigued me enough to watch. It is clear from the first few scenes that there are a few story lines going on here.

Filming wise I think it is directed well with some interesting shots and a soundtrack which certainly adds to heighten the suspense.

Horror wise I think that anything which includes figures with masks on is always scary and throughout the whole film it kept you guessing as to why they were there, the point and what the outcome might be.

I really felt that the whole way through it was tense and suspenseful as a true horror/thriller movie should be, my only disappointment came at the end where I felt the movie recycled and ending which is all to common in cinema today. It would have been so great for it to have been something different to carry on the feeling of the rest of the film, but this sadly was not the case.

It is still worth a watch.

STATIC is another murky and derivative 'home invasion' shocker that manages to rip off a half dozen or so films over the course of its running time. It's a rather insipid work that tries hard to build a creepy atmosphere but fails throughout thanks to sub-par direction and poor script writing. If you want to see this kind of film done properly, try the magnificent French thriller THEM.

The protagonists in the film are a young couple grieving the death of their only child. These makes them as mopey and self-centred as it gets, and they make for imminently unlikeable characters. Milo Ventimiglia and Sarah Shahi are undoubtedly talented performers but they can do little with what's on offer here.

The fright scenes in particular are rather dull and murky and too predictable when films like THE PURGE and THE STRANGERS have done it all before. Plus, the cinematography is way too dark, and the film as a whole has a grey and washed out look that makes it depressing to watch. The twist at the climax turns out to be nothing more than another rip-off of a different movie.

It was a bit Meh for the first part. Feeling predictable and lost amongst so many like it. But the ending really redeemed the whole thing for me.

Maybe if the first part had been a bit more original then I'd have rated a little higher. Does a good ending determine the entire movie? No. But it was a gooden.

I was really caught up until about 30 minutes in. The sense of mystery was very strong. After things start to 'happen' though, I think it loses a bit of the tension that was built up so effectively to that point.

It's not that the movie takes a big dump or anything, but the middle section, although continuing the sense of mystery pretty well, seems to idle somewhat, sort of filling time. I don't mean to make it seem as bad as it sounds; it's mostly very effective all the way through and you really DO wonder what the &$%%#! is going on.

It's relatively easy in one sense to figure out a large part of what 'has' happened because they kind of tip it off to you (I don't wanna get too specific though and spoil anything) The use of sound as another reviewer mentioned is quite effective and good at building the suspense and a feeling of tension. One thing that I personally really appreciated, and this is something that I have a neurosis about so I don't expect this really will matter to most 'normal' people, but whomever was in charge of sound design THANKFULLY had a realistic view of what things normally sound like instead of boosting EVERY sound so unnaturally loud that it literally takes you out of the film. But, these guys really had it right on, so that was good.

Without giving too much away, I suppose that the ending could be considered sort of a 'Hollywood' ending, like another reviewer said here. But, if you are making a film with this kind of story, it's thematically kind of 'story-book' like anyway, so I feel that the ending logically follows. I guess it COULD have been left a bit darker. But, I agree with the film makers, that after all the mystery, suspense, and ultimately, the sadness, that choosing to end it like they did, I feel, is consistent with the overall story (DAMN! it's hard to explain something about the ending WITHOUT giving too much away... :)

Anyway, for the directorial debut and the theme of the film, I think they did a decent job with the story. It you want to be SUPER HYPER- critical, well, you COULD say that through the middle they might have come up with a tad more substance or complexity to draw us in a little more.

All and all, I honestly think that it is a solid, well made film. Depending on your personal taste concerning these types of movies, if your are like me where you appreciate imaginative themes, then you should find it fairly entertaining. BUT... if you are more of a hard core 'Realist' and do not suspend disbelief easily, this may not be the kind of film for you.