2:22 Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A man begins to see patterns each day, at the same time, that somehow connect to the woman he has fallen in love with and a tragic event.

Review: Strangely enough, this film is both better than you'd imagine and lacking the substance to make it worthwhile. It's hard to properly articulate what is the problem since the general premise is intriguing, the actors are good, and the production is of reasonable quality. "2:22" wants to tell the tale of a cosmic alignment of fate, love, and loss, yet, is shallow somehow, failing to pull the ideas together or make them feel meaningful in the first place. More precisely, I think there are pacing issues with the twists, the villain (so to speak) shows up too late to the game, and the "answers" to why everything is happening are on the flimsy side.

So what are you getting here? This film is part sci-fi, part romance, and some kind of attempt at addressing destiny on a universal scale. The main guy, Dylan, begins to hallucinate real visions of patterns, as if from a diagram, and patterns of repetitious events; these bizarre patterns happen each day at, you guessed it, 2:22. Just as Dylan experiences this phenomena, he meets Sarah, a conveniently dreamy babe that makes an instant connection with him. Long story short, these two have their fates intertwined along with a third party, Sarah's ex-boyfriend. 

I like the way these events fall into place, however, choosing to make Dylan act like a wacko so early was a poor choice; he should have had a deeper, more developed love with Sarah before trying to convince her of the patterns he sees. Furthermore, I guess you could say the stakes of the film are low considering the wannabe grand scale to the story being told. Why would the literal alignment of the stars connect to these three people dying and somehow, what, being reincarnated? More is being bitten off than can be chewed with this explanation, and it makes less sense the more I think about how little this fits the themes presented.

All things considered, I did still like this movie for what it was, but it's not something I'd really be interested in watching again. This is the sort of movie very much destined for streaming filler. It's not bad, but not really good either, so you can throw it on, watch it, and forget all about it by the next day. Considering this movie wanted to make a statement, I don't believe the filmmakers intended for that kind of mixed reaction. Nevertheless, I'd still say give it a try if the story line piques your interest.

Notable Moment: When we see the holographic art piece of New York City and the shooting. This was actually pretty damn cool.

Final Rating: 5.5/10

Let Us In Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A town is terrorized by cornball, black-eyed brats and only two kids can stop them.

Review: Not to be confused with "Let Me In," this is essentially a lame kid-horror movie based on some equally ludicrous internet superstition. Now, while I can see why people are hating this film, I think it has enough charm to at least be watchable if you're the age of the characters or a parent looking for a safe horror to enjoy with the kiddies. You know, something family-friendly where no one even curses and everyone makes it out safe...well except for that one kid they don't save. But screw him, am I right? Outside of that target demographic, I think the only reason why anyone is giving this a view is because Jigsaw himself, Tobin Bell, has a touted role. I have no doubt this was some kind of favor for somebody involved in the production but, if you are tuning in just for him, don't bother.

What you are actually getting here is PG-rated horror on a low budget to boot; imagine on the level of "Goosebumps" and "Are You Afraid of the Dark" (which I'm failing to review). However, the characters and story are cheesy enough for me to appreciate the effort. The acting can be...uhh, questionable...at times to say the least. On one hand the story wants to be serious--dealing with death, guilt, and grief; yet, in the same breath, one of the main characters says he thinks he "sharted" in what's supposed to be a tense moment. Yeaaah, expect a lot of stupid moments like that. In the end, the kids manage to save the day in the dumbest/easiest of ways, befriend/unite with their bullies, and are thrown a parade by the town...on top of winning a contest and free vacation. Very plausible. Okay, I admit that is so impossibly corny it's good!

I can overlook--even be amused by--shenanigans of this caliber, but I see why others are giving this low ratings. Of course, this is nowhere near the likes of "The Monster Squad," however, there should be an audience out there for this kind quirky fun. Don't get me wrong, I'm not recommending this movie at all or even saying it's good. In fact, it's quite poorly made and, ultimately, idiotic in presentation...I'm merely saying "Let Us In" serves as an offbeat horror film aimed at 7-12 year olds and succeeds in that regard.

Notable Moment: When the kids conveniently make contact with an alien that helps them fight the bad guys. Well...NASA and all the world governments better refund the billions in funding wasted over the decades, because two kids were able to make first contact with shoddy equipment in a garage.

Final Rating: 5/10