Do you like me or LIKE like me?

With this still being a relatively new movie, I'm going to try and stay away from any specific plot elements in an effort to stave off spoilers. That being said, the first thing I really enjoyed about the film was the brooding tonality. There was a definitive component that built the tension on the back of a general uneasiness that permeated almost every scene. I can tell you that not every scene worked perfectly for me but they were all handed with a certain amount of specificity in direction that I did appreciate either way. The construction of that horror element was handled expertly which was really impressive for such a young writer/director in Curry Barker. That's been a real hallmark of this year's horror crop. Backrooms and Obsession have both garnered a fair amount of fanfare for bringing incredibly compelling films on a considerably reduced budget. So the way in which Barker crafted such an ominous air about the film was enjoyable.

I think despite being late to the party, I'd be remiss to not say something about the acting ability of Inde Navarrette. I would like to frame it perhaps a little differently than others I've heard discuss her portrayal of Nikki. I don't intend to take away anything from her performance because it was remarkable. But I'd say the elements I enjoyed the most were the flashes of lucidity her character seemed to possess. Overall, the entire performance was considerably impressive but the moments where she brought that duality of presence. The stark contrast between these momentary interruptions in personality were easily my favorite parts of her overall approach to how Inde brought Nikki to life. There were plenty of unsettling or awkward moments that enhanced the movie overall but those flashes of reality in different scenes were easily the best in the whole film.

The third thing I'd like to address is the portability of the world Barker created. At this point, I don't think the idea of the "One Wish Willow" is too much of a giveaway for any piece of the plot. But with such a simple catalyst for the calamity in this film, it's a pivotal plot point that is entirely transferable. Not that I'm interested in that Hollywood eagerness to immediately build a universe out of some film that experiences moderate success. But I will say that the introduction of the concept is such a simply entry into a franchise but it's got so much room to move that I was really impressed by it. There was just enough lore to give it a mysteriousness without needing to add too much context to paint it into a corner. It wasn't simply a modern interpretation of the classic Monkey's Paw gimmick, though not terribly far away. But I'd liken it more to the Zoltar from Big than anything with perhaps more of a nefarious streak that makes it palatable for the horror genre. Any way you slice it, I have to commend Barker for the world building here.

Ok so let's transition to the things that I didn't think worked quite so well. My first gripe is the lighting. I don't know if it was the copy I watched but even if that played a part in the experience, the film seemed dreadfully dim. In some scenes I can see how it was intended to elevate the creepiness factor and I can understand that. But many times I felt like it was bordering on difficult to visually navigate the experience on screen. One at least a handful of occasions it was more than frustrating to try and make out what was happening. But it really did seem like the overall tone of the movie was supposed to be improved by this strained illumination and I did not feel the same way. I will give them that there were occasions it framed the intensity of a moment with great intent. So it's not to say that the whole movie really suffered from it. But I felt like it was so broadly applied that it muddled parts of the film for me.

The more that I think about it, I think I don't have a long list of complaints, it just wasn't really for me. There's plenty of movies that have missteps that really aggravate me and I slowly sort of burn away at the overall film's credibility. This isn't one of those. It was well made. The story was well done, most of the execution really hit and it all came together cohesively. Sinners was another film that got rave reviews that I wouldn't really say too many unkind things about but it just wasn't my cup of tea. So I'm not going to try and justify degrading the film for my own sensibilities. I didn't like it but it wasn't a poorly made film. So I don't have to outline a number of critiques. It's not like everything in the film went perfectly. Curry Barker is in his late 20's and this was a fairly spectacular entry into the world of filmmaking. I think he's got plenty of potential coming down the pike.

Ultimately I'm giving this movie a B. I'm sure there are plenty of folks who would kick and scream that I don't automatically give it an A but it just felt like a B to me. There weren't enough nuances that went really well to give it a + but there also weren't enough negatives to warrant a - either. So we just get that solid, middle of the road B grade for this one. I did enjoy a good many parts to the movie and the scares were executed. But ultimately I have to conclude that this movie just isn't my speed. I like to really differentiate between a movie I grade at a lower level because it's poorly made and deserving and the grade this one gets despite my not enjoying it. I'm not downgrading it because I didn't like it. I think this is a B grade movie. It's not top of the food chain. My feelings aside, I have definitely seen better movies.

I'm really glad this movie did as well as it did. I'm appreciative that so many crowds gathered around it and championed it's success. On a $750K budget, which is intimidatingly well used in this film, to have grossed over $500M worldwide is incredible. In a modern age of massive blockbuster budgets and super inflated breakeven points, to find a movie smash through all financial barriers in the opening weekend and not have Spiderman or Avengers in the title is immensely encouraging for the film industry at large. What my hope is, is that films like this pave the way for more experimenting with lower budget films. As much money as some studios throw at intellectual properties just for name recognition, it's refreshing to see something do so well with almost nothing behind it. So I hope this trend continues. Even if a movie doesn't suit my fancies, it found a considerable audience and this is definitely a case of a rising tide raises all ships. The more studios take chances on lower budget indie films that do well, the more diversity we get in the cinema. So I'm all for it.

One more day to go. As Kevin McAllister would say, "This is it, don't get scared now." It's been a wonderful month up until now. I've enjoyed this adventure so much and I actually almost relish this exercise today. Watching a movie I didn't really enjoy but being able to praise it either way. That's a fun note to hit in this process. But now I've finally seen Obsession so I can check it off my list. I wish I enjoyed it as much as so many people did but I don't feel like it's in the cards for me. Maybe I'll revisit it down the road and things will have changed. But I'm ok with not liking it. I don't need to love every movie that's thrown my way, even if it's well made. And I would like to clarify one final time that I didn't hate this movie. There were plenty of things I did sincerely enjoy. It's just the overall product isn't for me. That's one of my favorite parts of the 31 Days of Horror. Finding new things that work and along the way there are plenty that don't. But we have one more day to go and we'll see how things play out. So now we just wait for Michael Myers to come down the chimney and stab everyone on Halloween morning. Until then, I'll catch you on the flip side.