I struggle greatly with reading reviews on IMDB. The ones that rip movies to shreds are almost always filled with false equivalencies, foolish comparisons, and outright blatantly subjective snobbery. On the other hand, the "perfect 10" reviews are often just as misguided, though they number far less than the former. Most of what I watch these days is independent horror, and without fail, there is at least one review on even decently-average flicks that claims it is the worst movie ever made. There are certainly some indie horror movies out there where this is the case, or at least could have an argument made to such a claim, but by in large, what the heck to people expect from independent cinema? This is where I think so many reviewers get it wrong; the approach to independent movies is all wrong and is used in comparison to the best of indie cinema, when in fact, a movie should be judged solely on its merits, without comparison to another, unless there is some red thread (eg same director, actors, etc).
That said, Wrath Of the Crows is DEFINITELY not as bad as many reviews make it out. I found the story to be unique and original - the synopses does no justice to the actual scenarios and result. I didn't realize there was such a connection to the occult when I originally read the plot, but was pleasantly surprised to reach the conclusion.
As for the film itself, some of the acting is a little awkward at times, but I wouldn't call it bad. As the stories progress, this fades. The direction, production, and cinematography was very good. Some very good use of color, filters, and light really contribute to the feel and timbre. The music, sound, and Foley are also very good. When you add that all up it makes for a good film.
Some notes on parental content:
- some profanity, though not exorbitant.
- nudity is brief, though there are two scenes with bare women's breasts
- intense scenes...emmm...I wouldn't call this film intense. Not in a frightening way. Though, it is a bit grim at times.
- violence/gore definitely play a role in the film. Some reviews say this move is over the top gory. I do not find this correct. There are a couple of lightly gory scenes, and while the fx are fine, the "moment of contact" is not often shown, rather the after affects. It is violent, and there is a fair amount of (somewhat fake) blood, so it is not devoid of adult content. Personally, after reading the synopsis and seeing some reviews, I was hoping for a real gore fest, especially since Ivan Zuccon is touted as the prince of new Italo-horror cinema. Had he wanted to, this easily could have been a gore fest. That's not to say those seeking content will be disappointed, only that it's not as heavily saturated or grotesque as it was made out to be.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable film. One of the negative reviews notes how "a bunch of random characters" are in jail...but aren't all characters in movies random? Give this one a shot, just go in to it without expecting or comparing to other films. Judge it on its merits and you should enjoy it!
