While this is a provocative, and very interesting movie, I can’t say it’s entirely original. It feels like a bit of a spin on The Ring. This isn’t a terrible thing though, since this provokes more interesting thoughts.
The sexual element of the story is just one subtext, but the real strength of the movie comes from a specific rule that it puts in place. Once the haunting is passed along, that isn’t the end of it. If that person fails to pass it along, the haunting will work back down the chain, killing all those who fail to pass it along. It’s more like a chain letter in a certain way. With this rule in place, it’s clear that there’s really no winning this situation. It becomes a game of survival by delaying death, not by eliminating the possibility of death.
This makes it a very bleak movie.
The direction is very nicely done. Well framed. Lots of nice outdoor shot that are effective in evoking the location; as well as a sense of despair. There are very few extras in this movie, and normally I feel like that’s a sign of a cheap movie, but in this case, it’s an effective tool for showing a certain blight.
The ending is ambiguous. We aren’t given enough information to make a decision about the meaning.
I like it. The slow dread is an effective way to handle horror. I have one minor complaint - they do a few jump scares. I felt like this was a bit predictable.
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