A slow burn scare

Rating: Null/10 (27 November 2002)

This film does not seem scary. When you are watching it it's clearly not terrifying or thrill packed in the traditional horror genre way. What it is, is creepy but it builds up to scary and perhaps even terrifying but not till after you leave the theatre.
I think it is because the film never gives you that release moment - that moment to let all the tension and suspense out with a good shudder or scream, so you have no chance of processing that tension (which is what, in my opinion, horror movies are for.), it's still there when you leave the cinema, whether you realise it or not.
Add to that some very disturbing visuals of a scary looking little girl and I - a hard core horror fan, found myself having nightmares over a film which i left the cinema believing wasn't even remotely nightmare material.
This film is interesting on a number of levels, it's like a puzzle your mind still plays with for hours, days maybe even months after watching it. Is this a good thing - i don't know - let's see if I sleep tonight.