I was curious about this film, since it starts Oscar winner Jessica Chastain looking like something out of a 90s rock video. I'm always curious when first rate talent turns up in schlock horror (Insidous comes to mind). This one was directed by Guillermo del Toro, who has Hellboy II, Pan's Labyrinth, and the upcoming Pacific Rim to his credit.
The film opens with an upper middle class dad (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) spinning off the rails and dragging his family down with him. Through a strange series of events, he leaves his two daughters, Victoria and Lilly, stranded in a dark abandoned house in the middle of a dense forest. They aren't found for 5 years.
Enter his brother Lucas (also played by N C-W), who never gave up hoping that the girls would turn up. His girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chstain) is a bass player in a band of arrested development types pretending to be rock star. She's jaded, cynical, immature- and not interested in having children.
They end up taking custody of the girls (Megan Charpentier and Isabel Nelisse), not knowing that the children survived because of 'Mama', the ghost of a mentally ill woman who died in the forest long ago. The spirit follows the children to their new home and the usual supernatural chaos ensues.
I wasn't particularly frightened by this film, but it wasn't the worst way to spend a few hours. The dialogue fell apart in a few places, and I had to wonder why people kept hunting around in the woods alone at night, and the ending is...poetic and peculiar. I can't totally write it off, but it wasn't great. I'm glad that I didn't run out and see it right away, and I can definitely see myself watching it on netflix late some night in the future. But it wasn't a film that made me feel anything more than slightly entertained.
It was better than Insidious, though.
Trailers:
Spring Breakers: Harmony Korine directed, James Franco is in it, and there are nubile girls in bikinis shooting people. *I don't know what to say, I might see it...but I'd need to shower afterward
Lords of Salem: Witches, a coven or something in an old hotel. Directed by Rob Zombie *Weird. Same people who produced Insidious, and you know how I feel about that.
The Conjuring: 70s haunted house, sparked by children's game. Based on a true story. *No
Evil Dead: The trailer scares me to bits. *Not by myself for any reason.
The Place Beyond the Pines: A welcome change from the oppressively claustrophobic horror trailers, and the contrast makes it look even better. With BRADLEY COOPER and RYAN GOSLING. Some other people are in it, too... *Looks like a sure thing
Oblivion: Tom Cuise up to his usual antics *Safe bet for action fans
The East: Ellen Page being creepy *Not for me, and just doesn't look interesting.
Follow me on:
Comments