Surprisingly really great

Rating: Null/10 (14 March 2013)

I've always been someone who's never really scared of 95% of horror films out there. Even when some horror films scare me, they only do it to a certain degree. So either I've turned into a total coward or this is one of those 5%, because I found myself quite unsettled and truly terrified for much of this film's running time. Much of that is because of the really atmospheric music score, which incorporates many sounds that only heighten the suspense. There hasn't been a horror score this brilliantly orchestrated or scary in a very long time.And while there are definite jump scares in this one, I think, for the most part, they truly worked. The suspense-building was unbearable at times, and the murder mystery at the core is also truly strong. You kinda see how the film will end 20 minutes before it's over, but it still had some more twists that surprised me. It does get a bit implausible, but nothing totally crazy or anything that kills the mood. This is definitely a very strong horror film backed by a pretty effective lead performance from Ethan Hawke.