Lucid

Lucid is a fine horror film. The struggles of the main character, Monica, are gut-wrenching as she struggles with dreams of killing those she loves. The acting is above average to excellent, and this film is better than the vast majority of horror films made today. The viewer does not know what to expect, and there are multiple, surprising plot twists. We have all experienced dreams that are so realistic that we have to gather ourselves together when we wake up and say with relief, "Thank God that was a dream." A world in which dreams and reality merge is one that is frightening--and even more so when dreams threaten to become real. This film reminded me of a horror version of the famous French flick, Last Year at Marienbad. It becomes difficult to distinguish the real world from the dream world as Monica's condition worsens. I will not include any spoilers--the film is full of surprises, and the overall "creep factor" is high. I plan to include this movie as one of those I show in my Introduction to Philosophy classes. I highly recommend Lucid.

Dreams are real and not real at the same time. This movie has clearly been written and directed is such a way that it just hits the nail on the head and teases out that element of doubt that can plague any of us about how we distinguish fantasy from reality. It reminded me of the moments following waking from a nightmare where a process of checking following - then followed by a sense of relief that the things that really threaten and have emerged from the unconscious can be safely put to rest. However, there is so safely put to rest scenario with this. Those seconds extend to run through the length of the movie and this is what makes it really scary. The story was unpredictable and it was easy to empathise with the girl character menaces by her dreams. This, combined to adept directing and good production values make this a movie worth watching. Be warned though, sleep after it may not be too of an attractive prospect.

Lucid is not your average horror flick. I found the story to be fresh, original and clever to boot! While there may be tried and true formulas for the making of horror movies, I was taken along for a thrilling ride not quite able to see where we might be going. Just as the main character was suffering from a desire to separate the waking consciousness from the equally realistic lucid dream state, I too found myself scrutinizing my "surroundings" for clues as to how much control I was likely to exercise in my ability to comprehend the situation.

Did I get lost in the plot? No, I followed along well enough... I knew where I was - just unclear as to the method of escape. Much as our heroine found herself in a disturbing situation by way of her own behavior in the dream state, it was those memories of PawPaw (played by Bill "Leatherface" Johnson) that had me squirming in my seat. This film envelops the viewer from the very beginning and I can honestly say it has not yet released its hold on me. That is exactly what I look for in an horror film. Gratuitous blood 'n' guts is kid-stuff - although, {insert spoiler here}!!

This was a masterful work of fiction that plied its magic in the style of Hitchcock. I highly recommend it - Nice one PJ!