Truly terrifying

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 2009)

-- Quick introduction about my review --
I found this film to be truly terrifying. I'm a male in his mid- twenties, quite into horror films and have watched them frequently recently. There are a lot of reviews slamming this film by people angry that there was hype surrounding it. It's just a film. I don't watch a lot of TV, I'd seen the trailer maybe 3 times in the cinema and had not discussed this film with anyone other than the person I went to see it with. If the viewing experience of this film depends on your cynicism, the amount of hype you're exposed to and the atmosphere around you then my angle is: - I'm a very cynical person, I complain constantly and expect masterpieces when I go to the cinema. - I was exposed to limited hype but understood this to be a popular film that looked promising. I understood nothing more than the trailer and queue sizes of the cinema before viewing this film. - I was nearly late to the performance and was in a packed cinema full of people chatting until the film started. The crowd were very animated, constantly gasping, screaming and commenting loudly during the film.
-- My Review --
My experience of this film is one that I'll never forget. The actors gave a truly spine chilling performance that gives me goosebumps when I recall any scene from the film. The plot is really well managed, it's an uphill roller-coaster that constantly plays with the audience but never letting them loose. The effects leave nothing to be desired, they were perfect for the film and you would never guess that this was a low budget film, in fact you end up thinking 'They did all that with how much?'. The low actor count creates an appropriate feeling of isolation that complements the film.
The film contains no music but it has a lot of sound effects and ambient sounds. I think music would have ruined the atmosphere they worked so hard to create. The main actress gives a really mind blowing performance, there is no point that you doubt her performance in a truly challenging role. The film is truly compelling to the point where I had to keep reminding myself, 'its not real' and make a conscious effort to distance myself. The film deals really well with your own scepticisms about the paranormal and the characters take up opposing views on the argument to leave you to make up your own mind.
-- A Warning --
Personally I think it's really undersold that this film is terrifying. I really would warn people to understand this before seeing it. You may find that you are one of those people that feel bored during this film but if it stimulates you in the correct way ... well my heart was pumping so hard I started to get worried.