I must have been in a bad mood when I saw this on Friday, I'm writing this late, but from what I can remember from the truly forgettable Oculus, was that it was absolute rubbish.
Mirrors are great tools to use cinematically in any genre, perhaps they're overused a little in Horrors, but golly when they're used right they can really scare the beejezzus out of you. Basing a film about a mirror however is just straight up stupid, why didn't they learn from that Kiefer Suterland film, Mirrors, which no one likes or ever talks about. It's hard to talk about a film like Oculus because when it comes down to it, what do i talk about?! The film is so lifeless and devoid of any meaning, or actual horror for that matter.Oculus isn't a terrible idea for a film and I guess the story is pretty unique, so kudos for that, but in terms of being a horror film it sucked, quite simply because it wasn't scary. It's more of a really bad psychological thriller in the sense that often the film doesn't even try and scare you it just throws a guy on the screen wearing a cheap halloween mask and expects you to shit yourself. Towards the end the film starts getting more and more ridiculous and actually it turns into a really effective comedy! This may be due in part to Karen Gillan's questionable acting or maybe it was just the way her character was written, either way her character came across as a whiny, arrogant bastard who wouldn't shut the fuck up.
The more I talk about Oculus the more bored I become, so to do it justice I should really finish with as few words as possible.
4/10- It's shit
#4- 28 Days Later (2002)
This is a weird one because I only just realised that I'd put this film on the best Horrors list on day #1, thinking I'd seen it before (which I kinda have) but turns out I haven't really so yeah...thought I'd give it a view.
Turns out I'd got my days and weeks mixed up, cus I'd seen the start of days and mixed it with the end of months...nightmare. Anyway, after finally seeing the whole of 28 days later I shan't be taking it off the best horrors list, this film is bloody amazing. From the very opening scene which is now famous in the genre, showing a man walking alone through the deserted London streets, to the more bloodthirsty finale, 28 days later carries jugs full of tension, literally never letting the audience go, despite the fact that a lot of the film is isolated conversations or quiet walks.
It's not until the end that you realise that really the film didn't have that many zombies in it, yet you are still drenched in sweat, fists clenched, hiding behind your cardigan. The film is so intelligent it knows it doesn't have to show blood and guts to get a reaction, the sheer isolation of this film taps into everyone's universal fear of solidarity especially in a time of fear. It's this mixed with the terrifyingly realistic narrative which cooks up the films terrific story and horror elements. Everything from the subtleties of a paper bag blowing through the streets to the literal collapse of the government is clenched with such realism, the whole transformed universe is just accepted by the characters, because what else can they do. There's no grandiose acting performances, no cliched hero, this is a story about people just as much as it is a horror film about zombies.28 days later is one of the best zombie films of all time, sitting up with the classics of George Romero, not just this but it is also one of the scariest films of all time, at least for me it is.
9.5/10- Relentlessly terrifying in the quietest manner.
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