I decided to watch this movie being certain that it'll allute to the Elisa Lam case (if you don't know the case I reccommend learning about it. It's sad and tragic) which many scare-seekers thought she played that exact Elevator Game. To my surprise the movie isn't about that. But also isn't about... anything else.
That's the main problem. The movie doesn't know what it wants to be and has so many inconsistencies that it's hard to decifer. At the same time it has a lot of creative and nice touches. So I'll go through with them chronologically.
+ They are using real-life apps (like TikTok or YouTube) instead of making fake ones for no reason.
+ The design of the monster FROM A FAR is great. Suddenly in all this chaos I saw TekeTeke-esc, japanese monster-like creature. It was uncanny, it was weird and it was perfect. The movement, the sound. *chef's kiss*
+ (AND IT'S A BIG PLUS) Characters act like real-life people. If someone has no real proof of the monster - they won't react as we expect them to in stereotypical horror way. If characters saw the monster they will - correctly so - overly freak out as we would upon seeing an out of this world thing.
+ movie is self aware. Which is nice and they don't cross the mockery line at any point. Nice touch of realness.
+ The movie end the same way it started. With an unknowing idiot who tries to play the Elevator Game. You could argue the last one being more stupid, because at this point several people "dissapeard" in this place so... natural selection I guess. I like how it says that people will never change. That they will always go out of their way to chase clout and risk themselves which - again - is a realistic part of the movie.
I can appreciate the effort and some of the details. The biggest problem for me tho, is the pacing. The movie starts too slowly, making you lose interes in the story and fates of the characters. Some flaws can't be fixed but I feel that with a few editing decisions we'd have a much better, remade movie that could maybe even reach a 7 in rating.
That's the main problem. The movie doesn't know what it wants to be and has so many inconsistencies that it's hard to decifer. At the same time it has a lot of creative and nice touches. So I'll go through with them chronologically.
- The movie starts way too slow. The first "scary" thing happened along the 30-40 minute mark.
+ They are using real-life apps (like TikTok or YouTube) instead of making fake ones for no reason.
- We have a token group. A dumb jock, a stupid blonde, a token nerd, a token beliver in ghosts, a token good girl and a sorta-main-protagonist.
+ The design of the monster FROM A FAR is great. Suddenly in all this chaos I saw TekeTeke-esc, japanese monster-like creature. It was uncanny, it was weird and it was perfect. The movement, the sound. *chef's kiss*
- The design of the monster FROM A CLOSE UP is terrible. Then we get the close up. The makeup on the creature looks cheap and isn't anything creative nor scary. Makes me wonder why did they even bother with the close-ups.
+ (AND IT'S A BIG PLUS) Characters act like real-life people. If someone has no real proof of the monster - they won't react as we expect them to in stereotypical horror way. If characters saw the monster they will - correctly so - overly freak out as we would upon seeing an out of this world thing.
- No matter what I said above, the characters don't TALK like real-life people. They act correct, but the dialogue is stiff and is really a hit or miss.
- The monster attacks are inconsistent. We don't know what to expect from the ghost but not in a good way. Does she teleport? She must, 'cause she's seen attacking different people far away from each other. Does she muliply? She must, 'cause we've seen her attack multiple people at the same time. What are her powers? Everything? It must be, 'cause sometimes she's invisible. Sometimes she attacks like a Mind Flier (from Stranger Things) would. Sometimes she can stand away from you to hurt you. Sometimes she has to phisically touch you to do any harm. Beacuse of that she seems overpowered.
+ movie is self aware. Which is nice and they don't cross the mockery line at any point. Nice touch of realness.
- people die at weird timing. Why did the ghost take sweet sweet time trying to get to some of them, only to find and murder the rest almost immediately? I don't know. It was confusing at best, and a little distracting at worst.
- The backstory of the ghost comes a little too late and a little too out of nowhere. There is no time for the new information of such relevance to really sink in.
- The movie doesn't know if it wants to be gory. Some deaths are very PG, off screen. Some have bowels ripped from the stomach. After few deaths the first gory death really took me out and not in a good way. I was surprised and confused. Agaon - not in a good way.
- The actions of the last two surving protagonists are so out of
+ The movie end the same way it started. With an unknowing idiot who tries to play the Elevator Game. You could argue the last one being more stupid, because at this point several people "dissapeard" in this place so... natural selection I guess. I like how it says that people will never change. That they will always go out of their way to chase clout and risk themselves which - again - is a realistic part of the movie.
I can appreciate the effort and some of the details. The biggest problem for me tho, is the pacing. The movie starts too slowly, making you lose interes in the story and fates of the characters. Some flaws can't be fixed but I feel that with a few editing decisions we'd have a much better, remade movie that could maybe even reach a 7 in rating.