There are two types of horror movies we see being scrounged up these days. There are the over the top flicks that make you "jump" with spontaneous startles or over the top gore. Then there are flicks that have something to say about modern society and cultural values, strewn in with over the top murder and other risqué elements. "Almost Mercy" sits comfortably in the latter category, bringing elements of social commentary in with over the top gore, sex, and violence.
The story starts off by introducing Jackson (Jesse Dufault) and Emily (Danielle Guldin) as two outcasts in a small town in Rhode Island riddled with corrupt leaders, parents with addictions to pills and infidelity, and all kinds of terrible mentors that haunt Jackson and Emily's childhood. For a while, you feel a lot of sympathy for the two troubled youths. Dufault and Guldin have terrific chemistry and truly bring their characters to life. There are no awkward lines. Even their first on scene kiss doesn't feel or look terribly awkward. Sometimes it can be difficult for two actors to portray a life-long friendship, but Guldin and Dufault pull it off quite well!
As with many horror films, there is no moderation. All of the characters are terrible, terrible people on a moralistic stand point. Jackson and Emily are made out to be the victims, until the last 20 or so minutes of the film where Emily finally snaps and ends up violently butchering almost all of the "bullies" that are introduced in the film. If you found yourself cheering for Emily, the film makers did their job properly. This is truly where the social commentary value lies. At some point you say to yourself "Wow, I'm cheering for the mass murderer right now." Emily's character does show a bit of humanity when her mother overdoses, but that seems to only add fuel to the young girl's rage.
Overall, I was impressed by this indie flick. There are some scenes that drag a bit, audio quirks that caught my ear, and some make up / FX that seemed off, but thanks to the enthralling story, none of that really bothered me enough to turn it off in displeasure. Composition was fantastic throughout the story. Lighting was on point and there weren't any scenes where I was struggling to make out what was happening, which is a common flaw in a lot of low budget films.
As mentioned earlier, the movie does drag at some points. There are sequences with many fast cuts to show long lapses in time which help push the story along fantastically. However, these are often followed by slow, droning scenes that creep along, not allowing the rebuilding of tension, just sluggishly moving the story to the next major plot point. I think the editor's could have shaved a good 6 - 8 minutes off the film and still came out with a fantastic final product.
Oh, Rhode Islanders will love this movie, as it takes place in RI and you will recognize some of the locations if you're from the state.
The story starts off by introducing Jackson (Jesse Dufault) and Emily (Danielle Guldin) as two outcasts in a small town in Rhode Island riddled with corrupt leaders, parents with addictions to pills and infidelity, and all kinds of terrible mentors that haunt Jackson and Emily's childhood. For a while, you feel a lot of sympathy for the two troubled youths. Dufault and Guldin have terrific chemistry and truly bring their characters to life. There are no awkward lines. Even their first on scene kiss doesn't feel or look terribly awkward. Sometimes it can be difficult for two actors to portray a life-long friendship, but Guldin and Dufault pull it off quite well!
As with many horror films, there is no moderation. All of the characters are terrible, terrible people on a moralistic stand point. Jackson and Emily are made out to be the victims, until the last 20 or so minutes of the film where Emily finally snaps and ends up violently butchering almost all of the "bullies" that are introduced in the film. If you found yourself cheering for Emily, the film makers did their job properly. This is truly where the social commentary value lies. At some point you say to yourself "Wow, I'm cheering for the mass murderer right now." Emily's character does show a bit of humanity when her mother overdoses, but that seems to only add fuel to the young girl's rage.
Overall, I was impressed by this indie flick. There are some scenes that drag a bit, audio quirks that caught my ear, and some make up / FX that seemed off, but thanks to the enthralling story, none of that really bothered me enough to turn it off in displeasure. Composition was fantastic throughout the story. Lighting was on point and there weren't any scenes where I was struggling to make out what was happening, which is a common flaw in a lot of low budget films.
As mentioned earlier, the movie does drag at some points. There are sequences with many fast cuts to show long lapses in time which help push the story along fantastically. However, these are often followed by slow, droning scenes that creep along, not allowing the rebuilding of tension, just sluggishly moving the story to the next major plot point. I think the editor's could have shaved a good 6 - 8 minutes off the film and still came out with a fantastic final product.
Oh, Rhode Islanders will love this movie, as it takes place in RI and you will recognize some of the locations if you're from the state.