Running Time: 108 minutes
Summary: John James is a writer; his wife has left him. He moves with his two middle-school children to an isolated house off a dirt road in South Carolina. The property has an Indian burial mound, which fascinates his daughter, Louisa, who's entering puberty. Strange things: noises on the roof and in the woods, the cat missing, Luisa sleepwalking clutching a straw doll no one's seen before. She visits the mound often, staying late, coming home covered with mud. John's younger son, Sam, is frightened. John learns the house has a history and seeks out the previous owner. Louisa's behavior becomes more bizarre. Is there an explanation? An ant farm and a missing babysitter provide clues.
Review: For the past month, my dear friend Chantal has been in town. Like me, Chantal is a lover of all things scary but especially zombies. Since she has been here, we have been indulging in all manner of B-grade horror movie. After a movie trifecta afternoon of Vacancy 2: The First Cut, House and House of the Devil (stay tuned for their reviews), three of the worst horror movie I have ever seen, you can imagine my relief when a larger budget horror movie starring a well know, if not completely brutal celebrity came up on my horror movie radar.
The movie was surprisingly good! (or maybe my standards are just lower?) A story that is predictable but quite original. The "bad guys" in the movie are only revealed in glimpses until the climax of the movie, which goes a long way to contribute to the creepiness of the movie. This movie doesn't rely on the cheap scares the way that has become common in so many mainstream movies (okay maybe there is one or two) but instead let's a discreet movement in the bushed or a completely terrifying scream (Chantal thinks they were possum screams) fuel your imagination.
The lovely little Ivana Baquero from Pan's Labyrinth is the daughter in question and although her American accent is weird, she has mastered the art of the blank, creepy stare and thusly works for me! Samantha Mathis makes a quick appearance as a school teacher, she was alright but I have a hard time forgetting the fact that I have seen her boobs. And as I indicated earlier, Kevin Costner (Kev-Kev) is brutal. Go back to Waterworld, man.
Rating: 6.5 nestability out of 10
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