Movie Review 039 Lights Out
Lights Out [072216] 3.5/5
Synopsis
When her little brother, Martin, experiences the same events that once tested her sanity, Rebecca works to unlock the truth behind the terror, which brings her face to face with an entity that has an attachment to their mother, Sophie.
(Director David F. Sandberg [lights out (short)], Budget $4.9 Millions = Box Office $29.8> Millions [domestic], Duration 1hr 21mns, Rating PG-13, Genre - Horror, Family, Light, Supernatural)
~ a well executed family drama supported by the solid cast performance and the character dynamic between them in spite of the tragedy surrounding them and a good balance between providing just enough backstory to make the threat have more heft behind them
~ excellent direction by a first time feature director with a seamless transition from his original self made short on the same basic concept, effectively using the sole gimmick with a number of ingenious tricks with the helping hands of experienced producer James Wan of Conjuring fame making it on par with other more high budgeted films
~ a rather realistic and dark tone throughout the movie with the punctuating ending scene with a number of reinvention of common horror tropes although the exposition scene was rather generic
+ Highlights: the simple but effective concept, the realistic family drama, the tattoo's neon sign scene, the blacklight scene, the boyfriend's escape scene with the cellphone and car, no reveal of the antagonist at all with only her silhoutte and actions do the scaring, the morbid ending
- Lowlights: the repeat of the same gimmick could tire some viewers as well as the morbid ending could be too much
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