horrorfaninusa's reviews

What irritates me the most is when a movie director doesn't understand the genre they're working with. A found footage movie is supposed to feel authentic.

However, this director has no clue what that means. Why? Because despite being a found footage film, it's filled with loud sound effects and music at all times, which many fans know, these are the cardinal sins of making a found footage movie and it's a deal breaker for many.

I can't help but wonder, when did the people who found this footage have time to re-edit it with music and effects? This alone proves that the director doesn't understand the genre at all. The whole point of found footage is to create the illusion that the footage is raw.

On top of that, the jump scares were so cliché and predictable that they completely drained the film of any real tension or enjoyment.

Some filmmakers don't seem to understand that startling someone isn't the same as scaring them. That's not what horror is. Blowing up a balloon behind someone and making it pop doesn't make you a master of horror.

And that's exactly what the scares in this movie are...just obnoxiously loud sound effects, one after another. There's no real tension, no engaging characters, nothing to actually fear.

The only reason you jump is because of how loud the effects are, not because the scene is genuinely terrifying or well-crafted.

Does that make you a great horror filmmaker? No, it doesn't. It just proves you have no idea what you're doing.

If you're looking for a good found footage movie with compelling characters and a solid plot, this definitely isn't it.

First of all, sinister ambience (which weren't even that many scenes), good acting and ominous soundtrack does not make a film a horror film. This film is anything but horror.

Yes, there are certain scenes that some people could find quite disturbing but, it's pretty unlikely that they will scare the hell out of you or cause you to sleep with the lights on at night. That's what a REAL horror film does to you and this film is nowhere near it.

Second, I didn't like the way it was shot as if it was an anthology. Especially the second part felt superfluous and could be cut almost entirely which could solve the lengthy running time of this flick. Two hours is unnecessarily long for this type of film and it shows especially at the halfway mark it just drags on and on.

Third, the characters were neither interesting nor relatable for me. I wasn't invested in anyone so, I really didn't care about what happened to any of them which took away the suspense and that's the last thing you want to happen to your audience as a director.

Lastly, I feel like many writers and directors don't really understand the horror genre at all and therefore they're clueless about what the audience expects from them.

Streaming networks know what's going on but you can't really market everything suspense/drama and keep subscribers so, they started slapping "Horror" almost under every new title just to be on the safe side.

This is starting to become a trend, calling films "Horror" that actually have nothing or very little to do with it and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I hope they stop doing that or horror film sales will take a nose dive pretty soon.

Overall, if you are in the mood for a really scary flick, don't be tricked by the fabricated hype because this ain't it. But if you have nothing else to do and want to watch something that'll help you sleep then go ahead and watch it. This film is so slow and boring, I bet it could cure your insomnia.

Okay, the quality of Blumhouse movies are rapidly descending into the level of Asylum movies nowadays. After The Vigil, they churned out flop after flop and Dashcam never disappoints in that regard.

The problem with this movie is not only the main character is one of the most unlikeable characters in the history of cinema, it also isn't even remotely scary.

But that's not the biggest issue with this movie. The major problem is that too much is going on at all times, so much so that it becomes impossible to follow after some point.

Everything is amplified to the extreme for no apparent reason other than not having a cohesive and satisfactory plot to follow. The camera shakiness, the loud sound effects and dialog, the violence etc is all too much to take in.

I would expect a lot more creativity from someone who directed Host, which is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. Unfortunately, this one fell flat and it could bring the end to Rob's career.

If you want to be scared and are in the mood for a good horror movie, skip this one tonight. Open Paramount+ and watch Paranormal Activity 3. It's probably one of the scariest found footage movies ever made and a great example of how dread can keep you at the edge of your seat at all times. Or you can watch Dashcam if you're craving for nausea and a chronic headache. It's up to you.

I really wanted to like this movie. I'm always up for a feel good comedy and I like Samara's acting as well as her energy. However, there was not really much she could do, given the depth of the character in the script. I'm surprised she even took this role. Her character is so cliche and one dimensional that it brings nothing new to the table.

Male lead's interesting physical features, his maturity also takes away from the movie by a lot. In a typical rom com you heart for the characters to unite however, I was creeped out in this movie to be honest. The guy looks as old as her dad which makes it impossible for an on screen chemistry to brew.

But that's not the major issue with this movie. The main problem is that the world it builds isn't believable one bit. Their lives are too exaggerated, so such so that it feels like they were living in a fairy tale. Everybody is happy, all is good except Samara's life.

Also, it takes away from believability when you throw logic out the window just to make a character suffer. I got really annoyed when the main guy was constantly stuck in the city if his bike was unoperable like he couldn't even afford anything but a public bus or rideshare services never existed.

That being said, there were a few funny moments which were not enough to save this meaningless production. If you like to watch a rom com that feels like it was written by a nine year old, then go ahead and watch it.

But if intelligence is a must for you, I'd say get your popcorn and fire up one of your old dvds to watch a great rom com classic such as When Harry Met Sally or maybe Notting Hill. At least you won't feel sorry for wasting precious ninety minutes of your time.

Bad editing and directing makes Jessica Chastain look ridiculous in the action scenes. Editing is choppy so, we can't clearly see who's hitting who from where and the fighting choreography is so unimaginative that it almost bores you to death with its mundaneness. There isn't a single scene where it makes the audience wow with excitement. It's that bland.

On the other hand, the actors' performances shine through the well written drama scenes. That's when you understand why the producers preferred this heavy hitter cast list instead of going with B names and saving some money.

However, too much heavy drama causes the film's pace to suffer significantly. It's like we are watching two completely different films at the same time. At the end of the day, this was supposed to be an action movie so, unnecessary dramatic set pieces and monologues disappoints the action movie fans who were in their seats to see Jessica do some really bad stuff rather than seeing her cry in her luxurious hotel room.

That's something I never understood either. I thought a black ops operative with a target on her back would rather pay cash to stay at a sleazy motel instead of checking into a five star fancy hotel.

All in all, I suggest you skip this one and watch one of your favorite action movies instead.

4/10 for bad action scenes, boring cliche plot, bland fighting choreography but decent dramatic performances.