Having been a horror fan the better of my 40 years on this earth, I've seen it all before. So when looking for something new to watch, I was recommended a film on Prime Video called The Remains. I looked at the director and realized I hadn't heard of his work before. Turns out this was his first film and further research showed that the movie was shot in about two weeks with a budget smaller than the food cost on a daytime soap opera. Going into the film knowing this information set my expectations extra low. I had to double check that I hadn't researched the wrong film, because it was filmed incredibly well. It actually punches well above its weight class in several areas. Yes, some of the acting is a bit cringe, but that's honestly to be expected in most horror, especially my favorite 80's horror. I was invested in the story and anxious to see where it all would end. The budget does show a bit, as the payoff at the end of the film feels a bit rushed, but this is expected and a minor nitpick. The makeup on certain scary characters is very well done as is the audio presentation, adding that creepy atmosphere. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and want to see what director Thomas Della Bella can do with a bigger budget.
Review of The Remains
