Interesting storyline but slow tempo

Rating: 6/10 (10 May 2014)

The movie is about a man who writes true-crime novels. He moves his family to a new city where he's researching the plot of his latest book, the hanging deaths of a family and a missing a girl. Shortly after moving in, the author discovers a box of 8mm home movies in the attic. The home movies show various families being murdered.
The subject matter of this movie is quite grisly. The story is interesting, but the tempo is a bit too slow and the attempts at suspense fall short. At times the lighting is so dark it obscures the subject. I understand this is an attempt to create a mood, but if you can't see anything it defeats the purpose. However, the acting is good, very believable. In general the movie would be good to watch on a Saturday night with nothing else to do. Some might find it a bit scary to watch.