Decent horror that could have been a great thriller

Rating: 6/10 (18 April 2013)

Some minor spoilers here.
I didn't know much about this movie before I saw it, which was a good thing since it gives the movie more mystique.
If you've seen the trailer, it takes away all the mystery and most of the suspense.
I like the first part of the film, where Ellison (Ethan Hawke) finds and starts investigating the 8 mm homemade films. They are well made and really creepy. It seemed like we were dealing with a very skillful serial killer. Then the supernatural element comes in and everything gets turned around. I think this movie would be better if it only used some supernatural things. It should have been a thriller with some horror elements.
When we are about half way in the movie, the same things happens all over again. Ellison runs around the house with a knife, a baseball bat and nothing new happens.
The ending was pretty disappointing, and I don't mean the way it ended. All the suspense that was built up towards the end was lost and there was no final showdown or drama. Just a minor surprise.
I found this more scary than the horror movies I've seen in recent years, but it wasn't that scary (more creepy than scary) unless you're easily frightened. Most of the jump scares were predictable and only one or two made me twitch.
Too bad this movie (like all modern horror films) relies to much on jump scares. Yes they are cool and scary as long as you don't overuse them.
Overall I enjoyed the movie to some extent, the performances were good and some parts were really creepy and thrilling. It had potential to go all the way but it stumbles in the middle, and doesn't quite get back on it's feet.
6/10