Product: Doppelganger: The Evil Within [VHS]
Rating: 3.0
Not THAT bad
(2.5/5 stars) No, it is not a good film, but I have seen much, much worse. Drew Barrymore looks gorgeous, the ending is truly surprising (for better or for worse) and there is a decent supernatural element to it. I won't rehash the plot because others have already done so; rather, I will simply attempt to justify the rating I gave it. The entire film is amateurishly done, though I would give it an A for effort if that really mattered. The filmmakers were trying to make a thriller about an extremely mysterious young woman and the movie accomplishes that. Also, the energy almost makes up for the lack of talent and quality. However, the subtext concerning "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is an interesting idea better left on the drawing board, and the script could have used some tightening. Fans of horror films have grown accustomed to low budgets because films in the genre are rarely taken seriously. After watching films such as this, one can understand why. Nonetheless, a low budget is not an excuse to produce a low quality film. Filmmakers must work within their budgets and not provide signs that indicate any limitations. Lack of a budget doesn't bother me, but the filmmakers must have realized how ridiculous the effects at the end of the movie looked. To be taken more seriously, they could have revised the ending to avoid these effects. The fact these effects were left in the movie indicate to me this movie is meant to be fun, not earnest. Taken for what it is, it really isn't awful.