This wasn't covered in the training

I will say right off the bat that I had a lot of fun with this movie. As the opening credits rolled and I saw the name "Nick Thune" I said out loud, completely alone, to myself, "OH! Nick Thune's in this??" I'd wager on any given day probably around 99% or more of anyone I might ask for their thoughts on Thune would simply reply with "Who?" So I'm well aware I'm smack dab in the middle of niche country by noting his presence in the cast. I couldn't care less. I love Nick Thune and was overjoyed to see him in the scrawling text as the film began. That being said, Stana Katic's name appeared as well, but I had already seen her on screen at this point and I was equally as thrilled to see her. I think her most well known role was in the ABC Crime Dramedy "Castle" opposite Nathan Fillion where she was particularly wonderful for 8 seasons. So if I have to give this film something right out of the starting gates, it's phenomenal casting. It's terribly obscure casting, but I love to be wow'd by an underestimated crop of actors coming together to enhance a viewing experience. Katic and Thune did precisely that and I was overjoyed at both of their performances.

The next thing I genuinely relished was the practicality of how the story introduced the elements I knew would be utilized later in the feature as scares. There was a deliberateness to their unveiling but it didn't feel sloppy. The context made it perfect which I have to credit to the writing. It wasn't particularly elevated but I think that's what made it work so well. They were simple, matter of fact inclusions on the briefest of trainings a person could receive on an incredibly complex new job. Our main protagonist, Megan, has a conflicted past that she's bringing into an unintended career shift through personal battles that have significantly disrupted her life. She's found something that checks a number of difficult boxes that is adjacent to her desired profession but with the distinct air of failure, at least a measure of, in her taking this role. But as she is introduced to the morgue, where she will be working overnight, we get a step by step revelation of all the moving parts of this facility that will be undoubtedly used against her, and by extension, us, the audience, later in the film. Again, nothing subtle about it but I appreciated the intentionality of showing us up front and then employing them skillfully later. A fantastic juxtaposition that worked remarkably well in my estimation.

At this point I feel like it's really time to acknowledge the story in its entirety. Not a play by play of the plot. But the narrative that's crafted here because it's executed distinctly well. Reading through some of the trivia, I do have to give the director a bit of credit for making some alterations that worked well for the tale that unfolded before us. Changes to the size and sterility to the space occupied primarily in the morgue fit the story much better. It wasn't as intimate but it was done so to create empty space that could be filled with a more manageable dose of fright at different intervals. It also created a void that needed to be traversed. Everything was more cumbersome because there was so much more area to cover.

There was a steady progression that, at times, could be a little bulky, but never in a way that felt lazy or heavy handed. It didn't take long to understand what was being accomplished by the adversary. A very clear plan began to emerge and once it was out in the open, there was a very formulaic necessity to it. I didn't ponder it long and just accepted that it worked well enough to nit pick. But mixed in with the meat of this chronicle was an interesting examination for me on the lingering nature of trauma and how it consumes. It may or may not have been the full intention of the writer, but Megan's story seemed to mirror, at least to a degree, that of Hannah Grace. Now we do not get any additional back story for our possessed young lady, but our protagonist's descent is woven into the story and her own dramatic account of redemption is being played out in front of us. She is trying to reclaim herself through whatever means necessary. And while the corporeal vehicle that Hannah represents is doing so through horrific and nefarious means, Megan is battling her own demons as she climbs out of her woefully crafted pit of despair. It worked wonderfully for me and I thought it was applied in a way that was accessible but not pretentious.

I kid a little at the ending but many times, it's hard for films in the horror genre to land the plane with genuine solemnity. So I don't particularly fault the film for it's conclusion, but I think that there's room for potentially a better one to have emerged. It might have taken a little more exploration into just what it was that had attacked and attached itself to Hannah to have a more nuanced resolution. That would have meant more writing and a longer run time but I think you could have added 10-15 minutes of meat in context to the story and still kept the film right around 100 minutes and potentially delivered a more cohesively delivered outcome. That's just my knee jerk reaction. In the end, I liked how the film came together. I didn't feel like I had been bamboozled out of my time. It was a fun film with some excellent casting, solid writing, great execution of effect and fright, and meaningful culmination. It wasn't perfect but it was a tremendously solid offering I enjoyed immensely.

I feel like horror in the 2010's was still looking for a way to define itself that it hadn't quite found yet. I'd qualify that decade of horror as a cocoon phase for the industry that around the conclusion of the decade, we were really starting to get a solid new crop of interesting directors telling much richer stories involving more than ghosts and slashers. I won't say this film was an instant classic or did something that no other film has done, but having watched so many films through October, this one stands out amongst many of it's peers. I think I'd settle comfortably on a B+ for this film. The A tier still really is reserved for movies that feel like they nail it completely. I can tag on a - to an A for a film that is in that range but makes a few minor mistakes that don't take it down a full grade. I know the difference between an A- and a B+ is typically fairly negligible which is why I gave it such. It was a really enjoyable film that was assembled well and had some superb scares in it. I think if there were a few minor tweaks to the overall production, it's easily an A tier movie that everyone would have been talking about. I know I'm an outlier in knowing the cast as well as I do and that's fine. It did make the movie more personally enjoyable on that front but I'm not allowing that to cloud my judgment too much. Ultimately, I'd gladly recommend this film to others and I'm quite thankful it was recommended to me.

So we didn't have to go another full 11 months before I busted out another horror review. I'm considerably grateful for the source as I have some new friends to discuss horror movies with going forward. I think they have a similar affinity for them that I do. I refrain from nominating myself as a full on horror fan but have a soft spot and a great appreciation for the art form when it is executed well, and also when it's executed so poorly it's entertaining in a different capacity. Movies create a kind of language that brings people together and I'm happy to allow them to do so in any form or fashion. Horror movies created a conduit to build a new relationship with two folks tonight that I didn't know before we broached the subject. That's fantastic. So I'm quite thankful to Christine and Nick for their volunteering of this film. I'm looking forward to exploring more of the recommendations comprising my list. I just wanted to take a moment after the credits rolled to crystalize my thoughts once more in real time. I don't have anywhere else to go as there's not another anticipated review tomorrow. So with a measure of calculated uncertainty that I'll be talking to you again soon enough, I'll catch you on the flip side.