Scary? Yes. Deep? Maybe...

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2003)

I should say up front that I am related (not closely) to the director of this movie. However, trust when I say that any bias I have would cause me to feel more negative than positive about a film if it was not up to par. I was, frankly, quite disappointed with The Mexican, and was hoping Mr. Verbinsky would have chosen better material this time around. In my opinion, this source material gave him the ability to demonstrate some real talent.
First, the good. The look of this film is very Fincher-esque. The grays, the blues, the blacks, they are all used heavily. In less capable hands, this would only convey sadness and depression. Here, the dreariness conveys something beyond a simple, sad world. This world is haunted. Every shadow, every corner, every closed door seems to be hiding something. The atmosphere it generates is perfect for this story, and doubles its effectiveness. The soundtrack (or lack thereof) complements this. There are no cheesy moments of thumping melodramatic compositions getting in the way of things. It's understated and haunting, often going for creepy white noise instead of overwraught symphonies.
Beyond the good looks, there is substance. This leading lady is no pushover. She is determined and driven, never helpless. The remaining cast plays out well, too. All of the cast members seem to have exaggerated features, which gives them almost the feel of a comic book, and adds to the surreal feeling of this world we're looking at. These are not the usual horror movie flakes waiting to add to the bodycount. These are accessible characters with real flaws but are smart enough to make you believe they have a chance of thinking, not fighting, their way out of the situation the find themselves in. I found this quite refreshing.
The scares come early and often. This is not a slasher movie, since a large part of the mystery here is wondering what the heck happened to the people who get killed off. You get bits and pieces, just enough to tease you each step along the way.
The plot is effective, some things are very subtle and will likely not be picked up by everyone. In discussions with others, I found that people were looking for plot holes in the wrong places. The video, how it was made, that's all there and reasonably explained if you pick up on it. This subtlety is nice for someone like me who enjoys figuring things out and picking up on seemingly innocent clues. Sadly though, there are some key plot elements that do not hold up under the same scrutiny, and that holds the film back from true greatness.
My score: 8 out of 10. Good scares, great acting, beautiful to look at. Lets you dig deep for answers, but you'll find bigger holes along the way. If you can forgive that, or at least suspend your disbelief, you'll have a good time.