PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Psychological thrillers have to be my least favorite genre of all time. Rarely does a movie get by on just dialogue before I give up. The Cellar started out as such, and I was getting ready to lose interest. As I got further, I learned to appreciate the film. It’s a tough call, but I was fully entertained by the story. I really should learn a lesson and sit through these types of films more often.
Let’s get into the review to find out my real feelings.
Synopsis
A young girl wakes up in a dim underground cell, with no memory of how she got there. As she fights to escape, sinister secrets resurface, blurring the line between reality and her own buried traumas.
The Rundown
This is what turns me off to psychological thrillers. The lines between reality and horror don’t quite fit in my humble opinion. Whether it hides behind a horror facade or just outright rushes a story to fit into a 90-minute film. The stories require a lot more time to explain without confusion. Everything becomes complex and a think piece instead of just plain enjoyment.
The Cellar is the film that made me second-guess all the movies I have ever written about, where I say there’s no love in reality, so horror movies are an escape for me. I like to be entertained, not just a lack of understanding. The film does move slowly, and sometimes it confuses you, but in the end, you can piece together the story. It becomes simplified as the movie progresses. It brings a sense of clarity.
Hello Darkness
The dark setting also gave the movie more “pop”. You would think a dark cellar is redundant; however, the film definitely becomes more interesting and eerie as we look past the characters and experience flashbacks. The film has almost a Silent Hill vibe when it comes to explanation. That isn’t a bad thing at all, seeing as I have a Silent Hill tattoo and a small obsession with the games.
This is honestly what I picked up on after about 20 minutes of the movie. It is almost as if the film is hard to piece together on purpose. The film is like a tapeworm slowly creeping into your brain. It stays there and takes over your mindfulness. The film makes you feel a certain level of paranoia because, of course, this story could easily be reality. We have always had a way of looking at extreme religious intent and walking away quietly due to their stature in the community.
In The End
I didn’t find too many problems with The Cellar. The director passed the test on the film. Though I was about to give up hope as usual, I am extremely glad I gave it a longer shot than most. I would have missed out on a great film if I had told myself it wasn’t my interest, and being ready to talk down the entire film. I can’t argue about the significance, and Jamie David Langland’s directorial debut is outstanding. I look forward to seeing more films under their name as time progresses.
