Just another reason to hate mental hospitals.
Released: 2011
Genre(s): Horror
I've said it a million times before, but I'll say it again: I hate "found footage"-style movies. More often than not, they're cheesy, gimmicky wastes of time, marred by horrendous acting, paper-thin storylines, and a linear mentality that severely limits the film's ability to build up any real terror. They're a lot like the guy at the party who knows how to do magic, but only knows one trick (and that trick is already kind of lame). Needless to say, I wasn't setting my expectations very high when I saw "Grave Encounters" sitting in the long line of third-rate horror movies on Netflix. Also, the last horror flick I watched about mental asylums was the abysmal "The Ward" and the horrible aftertaste that experience left with me was still fresh enough to make me wary of the sub-genre. Regardless, I had a couple beers to numb my brain for what I assumed would be a mentally-deadening hour and a half of cinematic slop and hit play.
Turns out, I was pleasantly surprised. This is by no means a masterpiece, but it hits all the right notes in terms of horror fare - the scares come quick and vicious, making up for a slow opening that plods on for just a little too long. Then again, without this rather lengthy, incredibly cheesy setup, there wouldn't be nearly as many fun, obvious jabs in the direction of crap like "Ghost Adventures" and the multitude of other similar shows starring douchebags with cameras in dark buildings. As far as satire is concerned, this film hits the nail right on the head.
As I mentioned, the movie does a great job at being frightening, but it's how it goes about it that makes it truly memorable. There's definitely less emphasis on the amateur jump-scare technique, with more chills being drawn out and built up through subtle imagery, creepy ambient sound effects, and the downright terrified reactions of the characters. Some panned this flick for its special effects, but I have to disagree wholeheartedly, as I found the ghosts here to be intensely unsettling. More disturbing still is the fact that the cast isn't your standard, horror film, throwaway kill-fodder: instead of helplessly and idiotically bumbling about with targets on their backs, these people fight to stay alive. Hard. They break down every door in their way, seek safety when attacked, and do what they can to survive what is honestly one of the most nightmarish onscreen situations I've seen recently. Watching them struggle with such fervor against the dark forces closing in around them, only to fall time and time again, is ridiculously disheartening. To further strengthen this oppressive atmosphere, the abundance of supernatural elements here are expertly combined with a claustrophobic setting enshrined in darkness, getting under your skin all the more when the whole mess is compacted by all the heaviest characteristics of a psychological thriller.
Needless to say, "Grave Encounters" left me both unexpectedly impressed and insanely creeped out. This is honestly some spooky shit. If you hate mental patients, the facilities they're housed in, ghosts, dark hallways, dark hallways in mental facilities full of the ghosts of mental patients, or the F-word, your heart will probably explode in a ball of crybaby hysteria upon watching this. For everyone else, it won't scare the dickens out of you, but it's an experience that's sure to bring a healthy dose of dread and suspense into your life, while simultaneously poking fun at the reality TV industry. In the world of suffocating, Netflix horror sludge, "Grave Encounters" is a solid piece of ground to take a break on.
Rating (out of 5): 3.5
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