Director: Rebekah McKendry
Year: 2023
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Supernatural Slasher
Plot:
Brought onboard a hit web show, a new intern pitches a concept about performing a special ritual in an elevator that will unleash a special entity that brings others into a different dimension, and after performing it find themselves unleashing the being and must find a way of stopping it.
Review:
This one was a barely worthwhile and not that enjoyable feature. About the main aspect to really like with this one is the central storyline involving the game that's to be played and involvement of the spirit. The whole concept of the game's existence as an internet legend where the performance of an ordered set of actions summons a malicious spirit is pretty solid and comes off interestingly enough with the rules and conditions that come about here from this tied together quite nicely. That's especially the case when it brings up the separate reality that includes the spirit being tormenting and chasing the one who performs the game the right way. These scenes, as well as the genuinely gruesome and brutal scenes of the ghostly spirit killing them off in graphic manners, are all that really works for this one.
There are quite a lot of issues here that hold this one down. The biggest drawback to what's going on here is a complete lack of understanding about the central figure of the legend. Its overall appearance and treatment present it as yet another in a long line of J-Horror ripoffs twisting and contorting itself around while chasing hapless victims, while the generally scattershot approach to how it goes after people is entirely dependent on what's needed in the scene. It will jump some in an instant, will taunt and torment others like it's a game, or will let others go since that's how the scene needs to work. As there's no knowledge of how the spirit works to get to particular devices or the popularity of the summoning game, this all comes off as quite problematic.
On top of that, there's very little to like about who we're supposed to be following for the majority of the running time. The main group of friends here is mostly unbearable as the vapid, self-centered group comes off as extremely unlikable with how they present themselves. The pettiness and completely irksome insults that carry the first half here are really tiring before adding in one of the lamest and most nonsensical plot twists that come about regarding a secret relationship that gets brought up that simply makes the group even more unlikable than they were before by introducing this unnecessary aspect. Combine all of this with some low-rent special effects and CGI for the creature, there's quite a lot to this one that holds it back.
Overview: */5
A mess in most regards without much to make it worthwhile, this one comes off rather limply and doesn't do much to save itself from its flaws. Those who are interested in this type of feature or are fans of the creative crew and don't mind these might want to check it out while most others out there should heed extreme caution.
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