Spoilers lie ahead. Proceed at your own risk...
This independent, very low budget film looks hopeful but does not deliver the goods. I simply don't understand how people can praise this flick to the skies. Did they watch the ending? It makes no sense at all. The movie is slow and deliberate in the building of mood, atmosphere, and suspense. In fact it's almost a bit too slow. The last scene is highly unexpected (nobody would guess what happens because it comes out of nowhere), but it makes the entire ninety minutes you've been watching make absolutely no sense. I hate stuff like that. It's a slap in the face to the audience. When I rented Haute Tension, which seemed like a really cool and gory throwback to 1970's horror, I was furious at the ridiculous "twist" that was thrown in during the the third act. What a cheap and stupid thing to do. What an insult to the audience. I feel the same way about The Collingswood Story. Another dumb twist that makes the entire plot lose sense of any kind. The girl Rebecca is in danger from this secret, evil cult; but in the end it is not she who is the victim. So, if her former boyfriend is the actual victim, what does that say about the whole plot? So she was in the cult all along and they were all planning this extravagant ruse to kill him? There are more plot holes here than in the Star Wars movies!
Also, this film is not shy about copying technique used in The Blair Witch Project. It's a shameless copycat, especially in the attic sequence. And the whole webcam device makes the film feel weighted down, like we're tethered to the main characters. I don't mind claustrophobic films like The Shining, but this felt like I was trapped in a computer monitor for an hour and a half. I know that this gimmick made the film extremely inexpensive to shoot (hardly any location shots or intricate cinematography). But a little goes a long way.
The film tries very hard to be atmospheric and suspenseful. After watching it alone in the dark I wasn't bothered in the slightest; it just wasn't scary... but I realize that sometimes that is subjective and personal. I like horror that builds momentum slowly, like Alien, The Others, The Changeling, The Haunting, and The Shining. These are films that take their sweet time, and slowly and delicately wrap their icy fingers around your neck. But The Collingswood Story just fails.
I must admit that I liked the fact that there was no blatant gore (sometimes I just want a scare and not a bloodbath) during the majority of this movie. And there were no cheap "jump" scares that are so prevalent in horror films today. But I just cannot endorse or recommend this movie because the ending sabotages everything. It almost seems like they had everything written (or even shot) up to the end scene, and then someone thought of John being the prey instead of Rebecca. Why??? It's one of the dumbest endings I've seen. But I have a feeling the filmmakers thought it was really a really awesome twist, even though it cancels the entire plot.
This independent, very low budget film looks hopeful but does not deliver the goods. I simply don't understand how people can praise this flick to the skies. Did they watch the ending? It makes no sense at all. The movie is slow and deliberate in the building of mood, atmosphere, and suspense. In fact it's almost a bit too slow. The last scene is highly unexpected (nobody would guess what happens because it comes out of nowhere), but it makes the entire ninety minutes you've been watching make absolutely no sense. I hate stuff like that. It's a slap in the face to the audience. When I rented Haute Tension, which seemed like a really cool and gory throwback to 1970's horror, I was furious at the ridiculous "twist" that was thrown in during the the third act. What a cheap and stupid thing to do. What an insult to the audience. I feel the same way about The Collingswood Story. Another dumb twist that makes the entire plot lose sense of any kind. The girl Rebecca is in danger from this secret, evil cult; but in the end it is not she who is the victim. So, if her former boyfriend is the actual victim, what does that say about the whole plot? So she was in the cult all along and they were all planning this extravagant ruse to kill him? There are more plot holes here than in the Star Wars movies!
Also, this film is not shy about copying technique used in The Blair Witch Project. It's a shameless copycat, especially in the attic sequence. And the whole webcam device makes the film feel weighted down, like we're tethered to the main characters. I don't mind claustrophobic films like The Shining, but this felt like I was trapped in a computer monitor for an hour and a half. I know that this gimmick made the film extremely inexpensive to shoot (hardly any location shots or intricate cinematography). But a little goes a long way.
The film tries very hard to be atmospheric and suspenseful. After watching it alone in the dark I wasn't bothered in the slightest; it just wasn't scary... but I realize that sometimes that is subjective and personal. I like horror that builds momentum slowly, like Alien, The Others, The Changeling, The Haunting, and The Shining. These are films that take their sweet time, and slowly and delicately wrap their icy fingers around your neck. But The Collingswood Story just fails.
I must admit that I liked the fact that there was no blatant gore (sometimes I just want a scare and not a bloodbath) during the majority of this movie. And there were no cheap "jump" scares that are so prevalent in horror films today. But I just cannot endorse or recommend this movie because the ending sabotages everything. It almost seems like they had everything written (or even shot) up to the end scene, and then someone thought of John being the prey instead of Rebecca. Why??? It's one of the dumbest endings I've seen. But I have a feeling the filmmakers thought it was really a really awesome twist, even though it cancels the entire plot.