We Are Still Here

I love horror that takes place around houses, conjures presence and unleashes energy. It's the gust of motion I'm after, the familiar geography thrown asunder by metaphysical winds that lift walls. Blood can be there or not, for me it's inhabiting something that is changed in the course, shown to be no thing, illusory, a prank of our investment in the idea of solid reality. And this is horror that moves fast, dwells and conjures with some purity. Oh the parts are all familiar; old house with a presence in the basement, a bereaved couple moving in, small New England town harboring a secret. Some have likened it to a b-movie of old as if that were a bad thing, in fact that's part of the whole appeal. Not that it pays homage to movies of old as if they should be enshrined in our estimation but that it taps into a kind of energy we've forgotten. You wouldn't be amiss of thinking of it with Fulci in mind, in those brief years when he could cut portals through his own murk. It's that type of lumbering energy that assuredly emanates from below, stands outside doors and makes floors creak before washing with blood. It knowingly mines that legacy but short of forcing it to be a certain type of film.

Overall the film disappointed me, but its one of those indie horror films that does certain things so well it kinda sticks with you. I enjoyed it but didn't blow me away like I wanted it to. I liken it that movie "I Am a Ghost (2012)" -If you liked this go watch that. On the pro side of things they did an amazing job emulating the atmosphere of a 70's era horror film. I really could not seem to pick out any modern day features. On the whole that seems hard to do, but the benefit is you don't have to get wrapped up in ex machina like cellphones not working for no particular reason etc. When the house creaks and utilities fail it all fits together nicely. Lots of creepiness and edginess. The OST was great. On the Cons side of things the acting was just wooden over the top and cringe worthy. The problem is Im certain this was on purpose. A couple of actors I recall are experienced and I wasn't buying their delivery. It was very purposely scripted to be like 70s horror. It doesn't work and you end up just trudging your way through exasperatingly bad dialog to keep enjoying the rest of it. I liked that they kept the plot inferred through conversation but suddenly for no good reason they monologue a big chunk of the story midway through. It was dumb and unnecessary. Ruined the suspense for me. Lastly the "monsters" were shown too much and the gore lightened the tension so much all the creepiness was sucked out of it in the last act. Its a solid b+ for concept and design. It sits at a 5.8 and that sounds about right to me. If they'd worked the script a little better and or tighten up the special effects this could have been a solid 7.

Worst movie ever. terrible and eventually laughable. critic reviews make no sense. this movie was straight garbage. i almost stopped it after 20 minutes. made me wonder why i would've added this.... because the trailer is awesome and you can make an awesome trailer out of a terrible movie (1 viewing)

"We Are Still Here" is a tedious, disjointed horror movie, notable only for its inability - refusal, almost - to generate any fear or tension. It's one of those movies that feels like you are watching it over someone else's shoulder, or perhaps it's being shown on TV in a department store, and you can only see it through the window. The plot is not entirely hackneyed. Sure, we've seen haunted house things before, and the introduction of characters who are versed in the occult has a discouraging smack of "Paranormal Activity" about it. Where it showed promise was the idea that the house itself demands sacrifice from whoever stays there, and the townsfolk know about it. Cue the obligatory scene where the good guys go out to dinner in a pub where everyone stops talking and eyes them suspiciously. You see, all the interesting twist on the haunted house premise allowed the movie to do was throw in another clichéd scene for the price of one. The climax, when it comes, is just violence for the sake of it, that I guess we are supposed to be shocked by. Is it even possible for movie violence to shock us anymore? This is a world where "torture *" has been a lucrative genre for well over a decade. Violence as a climax is just a lame cop out, the filmmakers admitting they're incapable of thrills and they know it, so here, have some blood and guts instead. A completely forgettable ending to a forgettable movie.

Overall the film disappointed me, but its one of those indie horror films that does certain things so well it kinda sticks with you. I enjoyed it but didn't blow me away like I wanted it to. I liken it that movie "I Am a Ghost (2012)" -If you liked this go watch that. On the pro side of things they did an amazing job emulating the atmosphere of a 70's era horror film. I really could not seem to pick out any modern day features. On the whole that seems hard to do, but the benefit is you don't have to get wrapped up in ex machina like cellphones not working for no particular reason etc. When the house creaks and utilities fail it all fits together nicely. Lots of creepiness and edginess. The OST was great. On the Cons side of things the acting was just wooden over the top and cringe worthy. The problem is Im certain this was on purpose. A couple of actors I recall are experienced and I wasn't buying their delivery. It was very purposely scripted to be like 70s horror. It doesn't work and you end up just trudging your way through exasperatingly bad dialog to keep enjoying the rest of it. I liked that they kept the plot inferred through conversation but suddenly for no good reason they monologue a big chunk of the story midway through. It was dumb and unnecessary. Ruined the suspense for me. Lastly the "monsters" were shown too much and the gore lightened the tension so much all the creepiness was sucked out of it in the last act. Its a solid b+ for concept and design. It sits at a 5.8 and that sounds about right to me. If they'd worked the script a little better and or tighten up the special effects this could have been a solid 7.