Frustrating Horror Film

Rating: 4/10 (2 February 2015)

I don't want to give this a low rating. It is an original film. Yes Cannibal holocaust did this before, but that was a campy fun horror movie. It didn't really seem real in the way this one seems to be. When I watch this movie, I clearly see the characteristics of all its imitators (The Last exorcism, Paranormal activity). But somehow this misses the mark.
One of the major issues are the characters. For me, a slow burn horror movie can never work without enjoyable characters. Here what I saw was a bunch of immature people who do the worst things at the worst possible moments (kicking the flag?). Not that it matters though since maybe it was an Evil Dead sort of a situation anyway. But still these are things that maybe not many people would do in that situation. The constant bickering and the arguments drove me nuts. It spoils whatever atmosphere they want to create.
Again, the same criticisms of found footage movies apply here as well. While in a movie like Paranormal activity, the cameras can be explained, here it is incomprehensible why such hysterical people would still be able to hold on to cameras even in the worst moments. That doesn't make that much sense. Still I am willing to ignore these things if the movie isn't boring.
That is the biggest problem. Apart from the constant shaky cam and arguments, there really isn't much happening in the whole movie. And even when it happens, you can't see much anyway. No, it isn't the old style arty horror movie style, it is a shaky cam style where the camera shakes so much, you can't really see much. The ending is typical of the style. Nothing is visible and everybody dies. I was left unsatisfied by this style. It is funny, I do like other Eduardo Sanchez movies like Lovely molly and Altered.
Anyway I am disappointed very much. I can't rate it lower than 4 since it is clearly a unique horror movie but I can't say I enjoyed it.