The Quiet Ones

[qcrisp]

I wanted to get out of the flat this evening, so I went to see The Quiet Ones, not expecting a great deal, just hoping it would be a decent, workmanlike horror film on about the level of The Descent, that would immerse me in "a pleasing terror" for a while.

I think I could have lived quite happily without having watched it. It's highly derivative of The Exorcist, Poltergeist, Ringu, The Blair Witch Project, Carrie and one or two other horror films, without being actually as good. The seventies setting is slightly shoddy (I'm pretty sure that "You don't get to have an opinion" was not British idiom in the seventies), a couple of the actors seemed unsure what accents their characters were meant to have, and the 'film stock' supposed to be shot as part of the paranormal research that the plot revolves on is unrealistic. The plot is also pretty sketchy.

There is clearly an art to suspense, which must be to do with what is concealed, what revealed, and when and in what way. There seemed to be minimal understanding of this art in the film, with the result that most of the little tension it had was generated by sudden loud noises.

About three quarters of the way through, things became slightly more interesting (I had considered walking out, but remained out of inertia and politeness). There is one scene that begins to simmer with creepiness, and the suspense builds from this point. But considering how flimsy and shallow the production is as a whole, this hardly saves the film.

It's a shame really. I could sense some intent to be a bit different and interesting, but it wasn't translating to the screen.

[luciferfell]

You should have watched Oculus.

[qcrisp]

Quote Originally Posted by luciferfell

You should have watched Oculus.

Thanks. At my local cinema, the choice was basically between The Quiet Ones, Noah and Divergence, but I'll keep an eye open - that is, remain ocular - for Oculus.

[DoktorH]

Quote Originally Posted by luciferfell

You should have watched Oculus.

I saw Oculus. My experience of it was much like Qcrisp's of The Quiet Ones. it's a haunted antique thingie with a bunch of contrived reasons why they don't just smash the thing at the first opportunity and one nice startling moment they give away in the trailers.