With Halloween just around the corner, the Bark sought out three horror movies to fit the spooky season.
As Above, So Below (3.5 stars)
Released on Aug. 29, “As Above, So Below” is a thrilling horror movie that does a wonderful job of creating suspense while still maintaining a compelling plot line. The movie follows a group of archaeologists and navigators who find themselves stuck in a loop, reliving their deepest regrets as they search for Nicolas Flamel’s philosopher’s stone, a legendary stone that has been said to enable alchemy and grant immortality. A majority of the movie is filmed in the found footage style. Even though this style is overused, it helps to immerse the audience in the movie by experiencing everything from the character’s point of view.
The biggest factor that made this movie intriguing was the mysterious, isolated location. Set in the dark, peculiar Catacombs of Paris, filming the movie could not have been easy, but was essential to bringing the movie to life. The only lacking part of the movie was its slow pace.
Annabelle: (2.0 stars)
Set as a prequel to “The Conjuring,” the slow-paced and anticlimactic “Annabelle” is disappointing in comparison. Starting in the late 1960s, the movie follows the story of a couple who is haunted by a satanic cult who has manifested physically through an antique doll. Though it falls short of originality, it does make up for this with the terrifying use of dolls and children.
The doll itself was not scary enough to satisfy the producers, so they resorted to loud noises and jump scares that contribute to the shallow tactic of scaring the viewer. The poorly crafted plot and shallow jump scares don’t make for the best movie. However they are somewhat entertaining.
Dracula Untold: (2.5 stars)
“Dracula Untold,” does a decent job of revealing the unknown story of how the famous vampire character Dracula, evolved into a monster. Although this movie is Halloween-themed, it is better classified as an action movie due to its gruesome fighting scenes. Seeking to portray Dracula as a misunderstood character, the film does a stellar job of creating sympathy for the commonly perceived violent, monstrous Dracula. But despite the heartwarming plot, the movie loses points for low quality visual effects and drawn out fight scenes.
At one point in the movie, Dracula transforms into a swarm of bats. However, instead of appearing sophisticated and flamboyant, the scene appears dull and unrealistic, similar to clumps of dust floating on the screen. Without the strong leading roles of Luke Evans (Dracula), and Sarah Gadon (Mirena), the weak visual effects would decrease the overall quality of the movie to an unbearable watch.
