PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Found footage films seem like such a simple concept to execute. They are one of the most highly debated horror movie genres. They are also relatively easy and cheap to pull off, so the level of creativity and inspiration aren’t always of the greatest quality. However, there are some original and cutting edge found footage films out there that took more than just a Smartphone and a weekend at Uncle Joe’s hunting cabin to pull off the story they were aiming for. What is one way to make a found footage film even more exciting? Make it an anthology, one with each story intertwined with the others. I recently got the chance to sit down and watch 2017’s The Dark Tapes, which when I first heard about it, seemed similar to one of my favorite found footage movies, 2012’s V/H/S/.
So did The Dark Tapes captivate me the same way? Let’s discuss!
The Dark Tapes was written by creator Michael McQuown, who also co-directed alongside Vincent J. Guastini on an estimated budget of $65K. Released on March 17, 2017, The Dark Tapes has a run-time of 98 minutes and I will be the first to tell you that it goes by so quickly that you are not ready for it to end. You will want more and if you’re not willing to take my word for it, you can just go to TheDarkTapes.com and see all of the awards and nominations this film has racked up.
Official Synopsis of The Dark Tapes:
A genre-defying mixture of horror, sci-fi, myth, mystery and thrills told as four interlocking tales in one intelligent anthology. Ghosts, spirits, creatures, demons and more from the paranormal world collide with rational curiosity.
What I enjoyed the most about The Dark Tapes was that in every story, there were so many twists and turns that half the time I didn’t know what was up or down. Like in all anthology films, some of the stories are more entertaining than others, but that doesn’t mean the movie is lacking at all. It’s just a matter of preference because The Dark Tapes has everything you are looking for in a horror movie. Blood? Check. Mystery? Check. Jump scares? You betcha! Cringe-worthy moments? Oh, you will totally cover your eyes! Not to mention the fact that this movie has a mind-bending twist that you will just have to see for yourself. No spoilers from this horror fiend!
Final Thoughts:
The Dark Tapes goes a step above your average found footage film. You are in wide-eyed anticipation to see what the next story will bring. Will it be a ghost? A demon perhaps? Or maybe even something much more sinister. The fact of the matter is, The Dark Tapes is a fun movie to watch. My personal favorite tale was the second story and I would actually love to see it get the full-length feature treatment. If they end up doing it, they can gladly have my money. All in all, this film is really solid and not to be missed. So do yourself a favor. Don’t be left in the dark and go check out The Dark Tapes on iTunes or VOD.
