 Thanks for checking out this movie review video This is for the shutter original 2020 release anything for Jackson And it will be available on the shutter streaming service starting Thursday, December 3rd Since I'm putting this movie review out before it hits shutter and since it's a new film There will be no spoilers in this review. Just so you know So this one is directed by Justin G dick And written by Keith Cooper now these individuals work together It looks like on a lot of projects prior to doing this one and mainly what their IMDB credits are are something You wouldn't expect and that is made for TV Christmas movies So it's the right time of year for them to be releasing this film, but it's very different But I'm all for that. I think it's great. I think it's people shouldn't have to be pigeonholed You know, we don't know what the situation is Maybe it's a situation where these people wanted to get into film But this was the only tow-hold they could find was these made for TV Christmas movies at least to get us get going While they worked on other stuff. So maybe they just want to branch out any time anyone's Coming into the horror genre, especially in this way. I'm all for it. And I will say, you know with that comment I think anything for Jackson is definitely worth checking out It's got it kind of goes into stuff. That's that's used a decent amount in horror film already But it's got its own take to it and that's mainly what I look for if you're gonna do a theme or a premise That's been well-worn. Please throw in something new. Please throw in a little twist of your own and they do that They definitely do that with this film. It's not an amazing film by any any, you know, stretch of the imagination But it is quite solid. I think it's a nice film that should definitely be watched. I'm I'm for it All right, so quick synopsis I don't want to give too much away on this because the less, you know, the better in my opinion So all I'm gonna say is an elderly couple lost their grandchild and They go to certain lengths to try to see if they can get that child back and things don't go well So that's as vague as I can be that's and I want to be vague because I don't like you just experience it It is much better that way You'll probably recognize Julian Richings in this film. He's actually been in a lot of stuff in very small roles He has 213 acting credits actually and the woman who acts opposite him Sheila McCarthy She has a hundred and thirty six IMDB acting credits so both of them very Very well Versed in acting and it shows in this film really they are the focal points of the film and They do a very good job. I mean, I think the film really sells Not just on the premise but on their delivery of the premise and they're acting and Reacting to what's going on in the film. I like them quite a bit in this their performances Very very cool Things go from normal to not so normal with an attention catch Something that catches your attention very quickly very early in the film like very early in the film within like the first minute Or so I love it when films do that. It's that attention grab There are some quirky dark comedic moments that are darkly funny and don't detract from a simultaneously Sinister atmosphere now that's not something that's easy to do in my opinion where you have comedy thrown in there and It kind of maintains a dark sinister atmosphere at the same time There are so many times where someone will throw comedy into a horror film and it just it's like a speed bump And everyone feels it when you're watching the film and it takes you out of what's really going on this film It's interesting because they're able to make things funny But it's like dark comedy, but at the same time you never leave that feeling of kind of like dread and darkness So it's well scripted is I guess what I'm trying to get at most The score is a very minimal for this one It kind of feel at times like there should be a little bit more just in certain moments But other than that other than just a few brief times It actually feels very refreshing to not have a whole lot of music for it to be very restrained But also in certain points to have no music at all if you have watched enough of my reviews you know I made big proponent of not going to over the top with scores or In certain instances just using silence and letting people kind of feel things out my only in my only issues in certain parts with this film is there will be large stretches of no music when It's not anything tense or all that interesting going on It's more just like some normal type character interactions, which that's the that's not the moment where There's the most impact for no score to be there But it's just a few of those moments and overall love how restrained the score is and love Certain stretches of no music being used in it There's a pretty good looking surprise about 25 minutes into this film So look for that didn't see it coming looks great And that's another thing to talk about is that the practical effects are pretty good because you can tell this is a very Low-budget it's very easy to tell so it's a super low-budget film And at that 25 minute mark where that surprise pops in it kind of marks a change in the trajectory of the film Which is good because I kind of saw it going a certain way up until then and then it had this thing happened and things Switched for me, and I was like, okay I see where this is going now, and I think that's a better premise So I'm glad we've taken this path going forward, so I'm for it You can tell this is a Larry Larry a very low-budget film But there's some creative choices made that still deliver the scares pretty well Camera work in particular helps a lot in those types of instances Movement with the camera work how they frame things Really really does help to kind of ratchet things up with a low-budget where You know if you had a higher budget You would probably go bigger on the practical effects or go bigger on the scares or the CGI or anything like that, but You know I think they get very creative and do a good job with how low-budget this seems Now that said there is a little bit of CGI here and there and they do the smart thing with use of CGI for low-budget films Which is? Quick you know show it quickly don't let people really focus on it because that starts to not look all that real You start to see some issues with it So they're very quick moments, and you don't see any problems. They kind of seamlessly fit in there I like that at about the 50 minute mark my favorite surprise scene happens and Look out for that It shouldn't be funny, but the acting and the way they do it they pull it off is funny Now when I say it shouldn't be funny I don't mean that it messes up the film and it was a mistake I mean that it's something that you find funny and are supposed to find funny But you also feel like I shouldn't really be you know finding this funny, but it is funny the way they pulled it off so Good work there When more backstory ends up being addressed in this it increases a feeling a feeling of mixed emotions Concerning certain characters, and that is a good thing. It's good to be Conflicted with a film like this and you definitely do feel conflicted because you see a few different Sides of a coin well there would really only be two so how about I say a few different sides of a dice How about that one? There's a really cool shot that involves a mirror in this so watch out for it It's in a kitchen scene and that doesn't spoil anything It really is during a kind of you know lull in in you know The scares and the tension and all that type of stuff It's just a very cool looking shot And I think it shows an awesome flash of style which you get from time to time in this so the directing there's some very inspired moments of the director and With like with a lot of this film it makes me want to see where we go from here with these filmmakers You know give them a larger budget Get some more experience under their belt with horror films. I'm very interested to see where this goes There's a quote, and I'm not I'm gonna start the quote, but I'm not gonna finish it So remember this and then when you watch the film and you hear the end of this quote You'll know what I'm talking about. I love this quote It starts you can't make a moral argument with me dot dot dot dot You can't make a moral argument with me dot dot dot dot. Okay. Look for that quote. Love that quote made me laugh Are you talking to CGI? I do and do not like the ending of this film The idea of what happened in the end I think is good But I think in the way it was kind of pulled off it felt a little anticlimactic and I think part of the reason may be because it's stretches out a little bit longer than I think it needed to go If they would have done it a little more fast and frantic, I think the tension would have been up a little bit more but Because it was a bit slower and things more things happened between point A and B with the ending It really slowed things down and it kind of took me out of out of it a little bit So I think they could have tightened that up a little bit better So like I said, like I like what happened It just if it was executed a little bit differently, it could have been great as opposed to decent The main theme here is how hard it is for people to deal with and accept loss Which I'm sure you guys could probably guess based off of the small synopsis. I gave with this film There's also a theme of how people will consider going to extremes to achieve what they desire most That's a well-worn theme in horror And the last thing final theme is consequences because there are always Consequences and I like the consequences in this There's some clever stuff in this film and overall I like the story and like I was saying it's it's well-worn territory, but it's got its own panache to it and Yeah, I you know, you have to stand up and kind of clap to a degree for something like that So like I said, it's not a perfect film. It's not amazing or anything like that But I would say it's definitely worth watching and like I said, I want to see where these filmmakers go from here Hopefully they get more opportunities from here So People check it out and maybe that would help out with getting them some more opportunities Once again, Justin G. Dick and Keith Cooper. So out of five stars with half stars in play So I'm between three stars and three and a half stars and I think I Feel like I want to go more with the three star because that seems more appropriate for me Um, but know that if I was doing quarters, I definitely do do 3.25 and also know that I considered the three and a half I was kind of Really tough to to make up my mind on that I am pretty impressed with some of the creative things that they did in order to get around budgetary stuff So, uh, give these people a larger budget next next People who decide to fund their project, please and don't make them go back to christmas movies. Don't Let's keep these people in the horror realm. We could use them as some some promising looking new blood Coming into the horror realm. So anyway, uh, very interested to see what everyone out there thinks of this film When you see it or if you already have go ahead and some and comment down here about it We can talk about it spoilers and the comments go ahead and we'll get nerdy Do me quick favor though hit that subscribe button. It helps me out greatly with the channel I'm just trying to build a community of horror loving people here We can have more conversations in the comments sections of all these videos And if you are going to do me that favor and subscribe Which literally takes you a second. It's very painless Also hit that notification bell button because then that way you know whenever i'm putting up a new review Doing a live stream doing an unboxing or any of the other random videos I put up But regardless, uh, thank you for checking this out and until next time keep it brutal