Directed by: Gigi Hozimah Written by: Gigi Hozimah, J A Marlow Genre: Drama / Horror Length: 97 minutes Connect:
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He Belongs To Us
Remy (James Medina) is an introverted man. Always on the cusp of the proper of social graces. Growing up had been tough as he was made to feel like an outsider to everyone, except his mother. When she dies, he begins a social slide that ultimately destroys him. Along for the ride is his girlfriend Victoria, played by Jenny Hutton, and what appears to be his only real friend, Roman (Alexander Moitzi) who also appears uneasy when dealing with Remy himself. "He Belongs To Us" is Gigi Hozimah's vision of what it must be like to go insane. When the pressures of the world combine and twist a persons mind. For Remy, that twist is a demonic looking man wearing a sheet. A ghostly lady and eventually, an entire family of people, that are only real in his head. This is a twisted journey of strange sights and crazy - scary sound effects - all mixed in with some classic music forming a very unnerving title of depression, and a mental landslide. Mostly this title works. However, it's hindered with fits of slow pacing and a general sense of drag. For what it's worth? "He Belongs To Us" would have been a much better title had it been 15 or 20 minutes shorter. Leaving only what was needed.
The plot itself is simple in it's complexity. Hozimah and Marlow, who wrote this piece, use a sense of dread and mental unbalance, to throw in stuff that doesn't always make total sense. But this stuff doesn't need to, since it's all in the head of the protagonist. It's a great way to chill anyone watching, without needing any real explanation. I loved it! The scene with Remy eating the plant is still stuck in my head. Such a simple thing that by itself, would be nothing... but here, it's crazy creepy. This film is full of stuff like that. Brimming with it. It allows us to see inside the mind of a person on the edge. What "could" be taking place leading eventually to... well... murder and insanity. It's all here. Waiting to creep you out. I did feel some of the acting was a little unbalanced. Very under dramatic. But then, something would happen, and like a switch had been pressed, everyone was on their A game. I think maybe the under acted parts were on purpose, to give more feeling to the dramatic scenes when needed. A good idea that was maybe used a little much. I also noticed the use of color. I won't give much away but did notice a lot of uses for "red" throughout the flick. Again, just another way to sneakily insert a visual queue, that makes us people watching, get a little more freaked out. It works. Maybe not everyone will notice exactly why, but they will definitely feel the effects. You know what? I actually enjoyed this title and all it's little implications. I would have liked to see the face of the masked man eventually, but also see the benefit of keeping him sheathed. The backstory of family, affairs, and sickness was a definite help with Remy's character. An explanation instead of just saying he went crazy. For those looking for a creep fest, this title an excellent choice. And although it may be a micro budget production, it looks pretty damn sweet most of the time. Sweet in a creep you out with strange dreams kind of way. Definitely one to watch for, so don't forget to check out the trailer and maybe hunt this one down. If you love being chilled, this ones for you. |