However, I feel there are a few that often get overlooked by the general public. You may or may not have herd of these movies. Some were critically acclaimed, others were not. A few of them have even become cult classics among a small set of fans. However, they've all suffered the same fate at the box office and that was a quick, untimely death. Some even met the exceptionally cruel fate of being released straight to video. The horror!
Let's start off with a movie strictly in the middle; with a Metacritic score of 52/100, a IMDB user rating of 5.5 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 46% it would seem this film sits balanced, right in the middle of mediocrity. I say that is simply just not the case:
Dark Water
(2005 Touchstone Pictures)
Okay, so this was one of the many mid-budget horror films that were based on a Japanese Horror film (J-Horror) rewrite that were so commonplace in the early 2000's. However, unlike most the these films, the screenplay for Dark Water was reworked in such a way that it did not feel like the many other J-Horror knockoffs circulating at the time. This movie seems like a lost orhpan, trapped in limbo between genres. It may say "From the Author of The Ring" but that J-Horror feeling does't quite come through and it feels more like a Euro-film than a true Western production. The problem most viewers had who saw the film was that they were expecting either a tripy, effects-filled horror type film like The Ring, or a special-effects-filled, fast-paced, Western horror movie. That had to do more with how it was promoted in the trailer as opposed to it's content. Instead, they got a good, suspenseful, ghost story.
The most redeeming factor of Dark Water is that, while it seems like a straight-forward ghost story, there is a lot of doubt as to whether anything supernatural is occurring for the first half of the film. All the strange happenings could be the product of the main character's psychological state. As she is on the verge of nervous breakdown caused by an ongoing, messy divorce and who is coping with being a financially challenged single mother.
Another factor in favor of the film is that, all things considered, is presented in a highly believable way. This can be attributed to the lack of CGI special effects that were (and still are, in my opinion) so overused in modern horror movies. Every effect in this film is practical and thus feels very real because of it. This choice was continued into the film's setting with minimal sound-stage work. A large portion of the film was actuality shot on Roosevelt Island in New York where the movie takes place. The atmosphere of Roosevelt Island and the set design lend themselves to a depressing, almost institutional ambiance, that only adds to the film's creep factor.
The cast is also yet another strong point. Jennifer Connelly (a name you are going to see here on my blog more than once) is without a doubt one of the finer actresses of her time. She may not get mass media attention for her more down-to-earth character portrayals, but here, her acting experience plays strongly in the film's favor. In addition you have John C. Reilly who brings a awkward and comedic yet completely believable slum lord to life and the great Tim Roth as the divorce lawyer. Lastly, Pete Postlethwaite as a far-to-believably creepy building superintendent.
Dark Water is a well made, slow paced ghost story that really knows how to build tension while not resorting to using the "jump scare" every ten minutes. Although, it may not scare you immediately, this film will slowly build a sense of doubt and feeling of unease that will stay with you long after the movie is over.
P.S. !!WARNING SPOILER ALERT!!
Although not based on true events, their has been a recent event that oddly parallels one of the plot points of this film. Check out this eerie case after watching the film for a extra helping of the heebie-jeebies.
The Mysterious Case of Elisa Lam
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