Review of Val

Val (III) (2021)
9/10
Stylish, strange and clever
11 October 2021
This movie was a really fun time. If you are a horror buff I really think you'll enjoy this, but at the same time it's pretty accessible to those that usually don't enjoy horror films(ie me). There aren't any stupid cliches, over the top jump scares or any dumb decisions that characters make just to move the plot forward.

What I really liked: The music and atmosphere. The music here is on point, and the thumping loud sounds really bring the mansion to life. I love the way the director uses music and blur to create a real sense of disorientation and confusion, which Finn( Zachary Moren) is clearly going through a lot of. The film starts out seemingly ordinary and through little details slowly starts to reveal that it is anything but.

The acting: Mischa Reeves as Val was incredible in this film. She is charismatic, mysterious and terrifying. It is difficult to describe specifics of what makes her performance great without spoiling so I will just say there are hints of foreshadowing that can be seen and make it that much more impressive on second viewing. The rest of the cast ranged from fine to great, no complaints really but Reeves was definitely a stand out and was easily the most entertaining character to watch.

The effects:

For a relatively small budget Indy flick this film has very good visual/special effects. This shouldn't come as a surprise if you have been following the creators on YouTube this past year as they have been creating a slew of horror shorts that have seemed to have been the perfect medium for them to hone their effect skills. Well done.

What I didn't like:

Meandering story early on The main issue I had with this movie is that you don't really get too much information on what the story actually is until well past the halfway mark. There is a point when things kind of click and you see where everything thing is going, I just wish that moment came sooner.

Overall- 8.5. Really solid stylized flick that struggles early on but once you're in you are hooked for the rest of the run time and you end up leaving on a relatively high note. I would recommend checking this one out, soon if you can as it is the perfect spooktober film to watch with some friends.
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