Heidi

I do cheesy movies, and there are more than a few out there under the found footage/horror genre (my unabashed yet hidden pleasure), but I just couldn't finish this. We've all laughed about bad acting, but I have never seen acting as bad as the one for Ryan's character. Never, never, never. It's not as though he was cheesy nor was he hamming it up, if only he were it would be an improvement. It's as though he was doing a read through of the script while he was texting someone. Only paying partial attention to what he was uninterestingly saying. On a positive note, it made the other actors mediocre performances positively shine. I was thinking "Heh, they're not half bad" (tho they really were) because he REALLY was that bad. He made Eyore look like a tantrum throwing, melodramatic diva. Anywho, the story had some poor writing, but also some potential, at least to the halfway point. Then I just couldn't take another second of Ryan.

I don't usually write reviews but giving in on this one. I LOVE horror movies and while this isn't grade A, big budget, fare, it was completely entertaining.

The lead actor, young and definitely not a pro - was great to watch, fit the role and I think, really helped this movie along as he was so likeable.

Again, definitely not big budget, but they made fine work with what they had and didn't have to rely on useless gore or cheesy affects. The doll 'Heidi' was sufficient to give the necessary chills.

This wasn't a total slow burn, but also didn't rely on jump scares - it was just genuinely creepy and a fun watch.

This 2014 film starts off as a generic low budget found footage and scary doll film shot by teenagers, but evolves into a more complex and genuinely creepy tale. The final scene before the end credits spooked me in a way that stayed with me, and which few horror films accomplish. This predates "Annabelle", and it wears it's influences on it's sleeve (even making direct Chucky references). If you've ever wondered how an animate doll can accomplish complex murders, this movie will clear that up for you.

Definitely one of the better films in the FF genre.

I admit that I thought this was going to be awful after the irritating opening scene. My low expectations dipped when they found the doll, predicting a series back and forth shots where it's moved or disappeared. Instead it became more creative and creepy.

It was visually interesting, and actually quite varied in terms of locations and events. Yes the pacing stumbles at times, but it picks up in the third act. The ending (not the mid-credit scene) was genuinely unsettling. At the same time it added a bit of logic to the events of the film (I.e, how does a little doll actually do this stuff).

The acting is a mixed bag, and it's a bit worrying seeing children and animals looking distressed for real. It's certainly not without its problems, but it ends up being a fairly satisfying and unsettling story with characters generally behaving realistically.

I had the privilege of seeing Heidi at the 2014 Pollygrind fest. I knew nothing but the title of the film, and that it was a packed house. That was it. Unlike allot of the internet, I enjoy a good "found footage" film, the genre has an immediacy and and honesty in it's scares that just works for me. From the first act of the film I could tell that this wasn't just another kids go missing in the woods affair. The film had an instant charm that really doesn't let up. Speaking of not letting up, the increasing sense of danger this tiny doll imposes as the film rolls. This film was made BEFORE Annabelle BTW, and honestly shares pretty much nothing other than a haunted doll at their core. Either way, the film runs us through a series of very well done set pieces meant to do one thing, be scary and build the danger that lead to a climax that unlike allot of FF films, doesn't just peter out. These sequences really show the film makers clever side, utilizing the approach in such different and unique ways, it's hard not to get sucked into the fun of the whole affair. I truly hope Heidi gets a nice fat distribution deal because say what you will about found footage, this movie rocks what its got and then some, and seeing some of the dribble that hits big screens representing the genre, it would nice to see something so well crafted and with so much heart behind it up there of the marquee.