Director: Zetkin Yikilmis
Year: 2020
Country: Germany
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Supernatural
Plot:
While tending to her grandmother, a struggling filmmaker conflicted with how to proceed with a potential break that doesn't go how she planned ends up forced to spend time with her coconspirator to figure out her latest project which brings them into a demonic series of adventures that test her powers.
Review:
This was a pretty fun and likable indie effort. One of the best attributes of this one is the rather fun and likable setup that manages to bring together a nicely relatable storyline to launch into the later wackiness. The first half here spends as much as it does on building her up as a sympathetic being with the way she deals with her grandmother while trying to work a go-nowhere job in the industry editing films with the desire to become a fully-fledged filmmaker, this one speaks quite well to numerous indie talents. The opportunity to leave it all behind with the opportunity to finally get it funded but thrown a curveball with the revelation that she won't be as involved with everything as she had planned, this part brings together a slew of elements that not only feel familiar to many in that position but also brings a nice deal of sympathy for her.
Once we’ve moved past that section of the film, the introduction of the cursed game on her computer that pops up while she’s trying to work and how it traps the two inside the room becomes quite fun. The rules not being spelled out clearly means a lot of trial and error for how it all comes together allows for the film to play pretty well with the alternate reality present where they’re trapped inside and unable to get out through various traps and supernatural chicanery before getting to the fun of the demonic entity coming into the picture. This adds a dynamic zaniness to the encounters that are silly and goofy to go along with the interaction between the two that goes on in between the confrontations which only grows with the final series of encounters that bring about some generally offbeat scenarios that offer a fantastic low-budget charm to everything. These are what manage to give this one a lot to like.
There isn’t much to dislike with this one but there are some slight issues with it. One of the main drawbacks is the somewhat confusing timeline on display here which is the result of the film switching between dimensions and realities quite often and easily. Although everyone is trapped inside the room for nearly the entirety of the running time, the physics and boundaries of reality are toyed with constantly making it hard to keep track of what’s going on at places. There are a few places where the inability to really tell what’s going on in the sequence adds a sense of confusion and chaos to what’s going on and can make it hard to follow the film at times, which is even more frustrating due to the point of it occurring is when the film is really trying to pick up steam. As well, the finale twist is a bit odd and comes off quite like it was a bit of a surprise rather than a genuine continuation of the story with that little build-up, but otherwise, this one doesn’t have much wrong with it.
Overview: ***.5/5
A fun indie effort without too many issues, this one manages to bring about a great sense of zany energy which is quite infectious and is able to help overcome the few minor flaws present. Those who appreciate this kind of indie effort, are intrigued by the concept or are fans of the creative crew will have the most to like about it while those that aren’t a fan of these factors should heed caution with it.
This review ran as part of our 2023 Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out the rest of our month-long celebrations including various reviews and interviews:
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