WOW!

I don't watch horror movies (not that this flick really was) but the suspense and tension made this movie one of the best experiences watching a movie that I've had in a long time.

*MINOR SPOILER*

I can't call this scary, but a lot of what happened was really unexpected. From pan in into the miniature which transitioned into the scene beginning in the actual house to Charlie being so weirdly awkward to the Sequence Which Will Stay With Me Forever to what'shername being the psychic and on the direction of the plot shifted quite a bit but the director managed to make the switches seamless and believeable.

* END SPOILERS *

(BTW, the use of jump transitions from scene was amazing. Some of the best ones I've seen.)

The acting throughout was superb. Toni deserves an Oscar. It'll be interesting to see if she actually wins since by and large the Academy doesn't respect horror / suspense / thriller movies.

Peter was great too.

* MINOR SPOILER *

The scene in the car after Charlie died was amazing. Just the way the emotions swung around on his face was remarkable. And his portrayal of a teenager wounded by the event and then the transition into the 'break down' was well done too.

And that scream Toni let out once she found out. Man, I don't know how an actor summons that kind of intensity and complexity, but she's a pro and she obviously proved that here.

* END MINOR SPOILER *

Part of me wishes that the movie had dropped the horror angle and just dealt with the family dynamic. It was so well done to me and it's rare when grief is so drawn in such a raw and brutal way. I liked hearing her go to the support group meeting and seeing how the family just let the grief go unspoken, which seems like it would go in a lot of families. The scene at the dinner table was great too.

The sleepwalking scenes were great too. Especially the one where Toni's character tells Peter he was a mistake. Wow.

I guess the ending didn't bother me. It also didn't stand out. It was if the ending just happened instead of being the apex of the buildup throughout the movie.


I can respect that heads of the genre might take issue with the anti-climatic nature of it. I've never seen Rosemary's Baby but the ending seemed more like a coda. Maybe the movie should have ended ...

* MINOR SPOILER *

when Peter jumped out of the window of the attic.

* END OF SPOILER *

But wow, just an amazing movie.