I wanted to like this film, and while there's much to admire in its technique, the script ultimately ruins it completely.
Given its low budget, the film looks and sounds as good as a big-budget production, so I take my hat off to the cinematographer, the production designer, and everyone involved in creating the sound, which is fundamental to its premise. The direction is also solid, although the writer-director has his limits with long stretches where the protagonist simply listens to an audio file with nothing happening around him. Apparently, the film originated as a potential horror podcast, and perhaps that would have been more fitting.
Director: Ian Tuason
Writer: Ian Tuason
Stars: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet
One of my main complaints is that the screenwriter, like so many others in film and television, doesn't understand podcasting. The entire film revolves around a podcast that the protagonist records remotely with an unseen male co-host. At times, the show seems to have been pre-recorded at 3 a.m. for some reason I never understood; At other times, the show airs live at 3 a.m., and anyone can call in.
There's a closing message stating that new episodes are released on Fridays, wherever you listen to your podcasts, but can listeners call in? And when the main character says she needs a minute, her co-host immediately tells her they can continue recording in a couple of days? None of this makes sense, and I'm amazed that people writing scripts these days simply don't understand how podcasting works. It might seem like a minor complaint, but the entire film revolves around this fictional podcast.
The myth behind the supposed supernatural events is interesting, but the actual horror is minimal. Not much happens until we get an Exorcist III-style ending, where they throw spaghetti at a wall hoping something will stick.
The script needed a rewrite. In the meantime, everyone does an excellent job developing that structure as best they can. But if you're interested in a chilling story about someone discovering a series of increasingly disturbing recordings, I recommend you look for Session 9.
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