Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: A documentary crew chronicles the daily life of an Alzheimer's patient who holds a dark secret.
Review: Man, they fucked this one up big time. This film started off incredibly strong--and even had me on edge a bit--but then it deteriorated into sheer nonsense by the end. Maybe this disastrous transition of quality was meant to be symbolic of the actual Alzheimer's disease? Or...maybe they simply dropped the ball. I'm not sure of the exact moment that the train came off the rails, but it was incredibly disappointing once you learn the truth of what's happening. More so, the way everything is resolved is absolutely painful to behold and makes you wonder how they even coordinated the initial atmosphere to begin with.
Well, what did work? The exploration of Alzheimer's, the way it hurts the individual, and the effects regarding memory are themes they address thoroughly, independent of the horror elements. Care is definitely taken in presenting the disease and also making the characters feel believable when coping with the situation at hand. Speaking of which, the acting was decent from all the players; everybody turned in respectable performances with a few moments of genuinely funny and realistic dialogue. I did like the usage of forgotten memories in order to shape the narrative and build tension. The curiosity of what's happening enhances the atmosphere which already plays out like an edgier version of "Paranormal Activity." Although they abuse jump scares like no one's business, many are at least done in a way that keeps you on edge due to the unpredictability of their usage. For example, one that worked well was when that hipster douche was looking at Deb's paintings that had a dark figure grow closer and closer to the window only for Deb to appear and speak in a manly voice; then she somehow opens up a nailed window without touching it. My thing with the jump scares is that they were at least adequately creepy.
As for the failures, the glaring issue is the realization that this isn't some kind of demonic possession after all. Sure, they went outside of the box and took a gamble, but it was a total debacle and failure of execution. Instead of playing it safe, we find out there is this phantom serial killer that Deb killed when she was younger to protect her daughter. Deb and a friend covered this up but somehow the spirit is possessing her now while in a weakened state. Moreover, this serial killer is trying to do a moronic ritual with snakes and shit and whatever the hell was happening. This spirit wants a little girl at Deb's hospital to complete his ritual that will make him immortal or something. Shocking no one, the killer succeeds despite the leads seemingly defeating him. The film ends with a cornball, evil little smirk at the camera like we haven't seen that a million times before. All of this is presented badly and...just...ugh. And Deb taking on snake features and practically turning into a giant snake at the end...whaaaat?! Finally, the abundance of contrivances were not helping especially when you factor in that jump scare abuse.
A part of me still wants to recommend this since the first half or so was surprisingly awesome. I kept thinking this must be some kind of sleeper gem people are missing out on...until the stupidity began and I realized why no one brags about this movie. I do appreciate the effort to ditch the cliches of demonic possession, but this is not a better alternative. There are plenty of great ideas present, however, the unsatisfying, or outright annoying, ending hurts the final impression, leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. Still, as far as films go in this sub-genre, this was better than average. This is another film I can picture others really loving more than me or outright hating.
Notable Moment: When Deborah is creepily staring at the camera with a grin while playing the piano.
Final Rating: 5.5/10
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