PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Of all the horror film categories, my absolute favorite is found footage! When offered the opportunity to review director Shawn Robinson’s new film Life of Belle I was thrilled. While I loved the idea and the interplay between some of the actors, it didn’t totally come together for me.
Synopsis
No leads have surfaced since eight year old Annabelle Starnes went missing in 2018. So the York County police Department decided to release the footage recovered from the residence in hopes it will produce some kind of lead to her whereabouts. This is that footage.
Let’s touch on the positives first! The kid actors were amazing. Syrenne Robinson was especially good as Belle. She managed to flip-flop between fun-loving kid and petrified prey seamlessly. I also enjoyed Zachary Robinson as Link. What made the two of them so impressive was how natural they seemed together. None of their lines ever seemed forced and they were fun to watch on screen.
Now for the negative. The main problem is that this film doesn’t tread any fresh territory. It feels like it cherry-picked from multiple films such as The Lodge, and at least 3 of the Paranormal Activity movies. This movie started with a lot of potential but just didn’t live up to it.
Judging by the fact that the last names of all the actors and the director are the same, I’m guessing that this was a family affair. This was clearly a labor of love, and I am for sure looking forward to what this team can do in the future.
You can check out the official trailer below. Life of Belle hits Digital platforms on February 2, 2024.
