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doggiegir
Reviews
Jinn (2014)
Interesting, well-acted movie + annoying car commercial
I just got back from seeing "Jinn". To be honest, I hadn't even heard of it before. I saw it in the theater listings, looked up the movie, and saw it was filmed in Michigan, where I'm from, so I gave it a shot.
I really enjoyed this movie. The story was engaging and unique, and the acting was solid all around. It was a bit slow to get moving, but the final third of the movie and the ending were amazing. I loved the look and style of the movie. I LOVED the integration of aspects of the different Abrahamic spiritual traditions while still keeping the emphasis on Arabic/Muslim folklore. It's making me want to read up on some of that folklore myself, since I am unfamiliar with it. "Jinn" is only rated PG-13, but it's not a kids movie; it's just smarter and deeper than your average jump-scare torture porn with naked chicks types of "horror" movies.
As far as negatives go, I think the movie was a little schizophrenic in tone at times. It's not what I would call a pure horror movie, more of a horror plus supernatural action plus an unfortunate touch of "Fast and Furious". The overemphasis on the car was a huge distraction, and the connection between the filmmakers and the car is really strange. I guess they designed it specifically for this film and you can buy one? So you can continue the film experience in your real life? It is a cool looking car, but every time I saw it, it pulled me out of the narrative because I felt like I was watching a car commercial. Thankfully, it was only in a few scenes.
I definitely enjoyed "Jinn" and would recommend it to anyone looking for a more intellectual horror movie from a non-western perspective. Just try to ignore the car.
P.S. There is a brief scene at the end of the credits; I don't mean the scene in the church but later at the very end.