JUG FACE is a highly recommended little gem of a horror film, with not a wasted frame, nor any lack of tension throughout, a perfect and extremely involving performance by captivating young lead Lauren Ashley Carter, an effective symbolic undercurrent, and enough of an emotional punch to literally bring tears to your eyes.
The film is exactly what a small-scale horror movie should be -- disturbing without being exploitative, scary without anyone trying to throw hatchets in your face in 3D, and operating in its own consistent yet just-not-right world where things just do not work the same way as they do in the outside world or mean the same things.
The subtext here, whether intentional or not, has to do with the terrors and wrongs of following an "old religion" long past its time and resonates boldly. Similarities to THE LOTTERY exist but there's much more to the story. The analogy works as well here as the fear-of-commie-invaders subtext did in INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS in the 1950s. They say horror movies are most effective if they successfully tune in to the audience's fears at the time of its release. This one does an excellent job of that and seems like something that will never get old.
The only negatives here are that the community involved in the tale seems to be awfully small in number (no doubt due to budget constraints), the ineffective attempt at whatever sort of accent Sean Young, who is slightly miscast here, is attempting, and it is possible that by reordering one or two of the scenes and moving it back a bit the impact of the scene in which Ada discovers her "jug face" might have been strengthened, and possibly her attempt to escape her probable fate seems to be somewhat abortive, but if you consider what is supposed to be going on, and the ending they're going for, you understand why this is the case. These are rather minor problems though and do not detract from the film's power.
The actor who plays the potter who makes the jugs is also excellent and his performance moving.
This movie will leave you wanting more, and the terror of it is knowing, after it's over, well, you can't have it.
Excellent film all around, far better than overblown junk like CABIN IN THE WOODS, with an air to it of the simple but sometimes unforgettably scary radio dramas of the 1940s that audiences just couldn't forget and would listen to over and over. (Arch Oboler would love this movie.) I would not hesitate to suggest this is a real classic in the best sense of the word and I hope it gets noticed and does well. It'll certainly be remembered by those who see it, me included. Great job, filmmakers. 9/10
The film is exactly what a small-scale horror movie should be -- disturbing without being exploitative, scary without anyone trying to throw hatchets in your face in 3D, and operating in its own consistent yet just-not-right world where things just do not work the same way as they do in the outside world or mean the same things.
The subtext here, whether intentional or not, has to do with the terrors and wrongs of following an "old religion" long past its time and resonates boldly. Similarities to THE LOTTERY exist but there's much more to the story. The analogy works as well here as the fear-of-commie-invaders subtext did in INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS in the 1950s. They say horror movies are most effective if they successfully tune in to the audience's fears at the time of its release. This one does an excellent job of that and seems like something that will never get old.
The only negatives here are that the community involved in the tale seems to be awfully small in number (no doubt due to budget constraints), the ineffective attempt at whatever sort of accent Sean Young, who is slightly miscast here, is attempting, and it is possible that by reordering one or two of the scenes and moving it back a bit the impact of the scene in which Ada discovers her "jug face" might have been strengthened, and possibly her attempt to escape her probable fate seems to be somewhat abortive, but if you consider what is supposed to be going on, and the ending they're going for, you understand why this is the case. These are rather minor problems though and do not detract from the film's power.
The actor who plays the potter who makes the jugs is also excellent and his performance moving.
This movie will leave you wanting more, and the terror of it is knowing, after it's over, well, you can't have it.
Excellent film all around, far better than overblown junk like CABIN IN THE WOODS, with an air to it of the simple but sometimes unforgettably scary radio dramas of the 1940s that audiences just couldn't forget and would listen to over and over. (Arch Oboler would love this movie.) I would not hesitate to suggest this is a real classic in the best sense of the word and I hope it gets noticed and does well. It'll certainly be remembered by those who see it, me included. Great job, filmmakers. 9/10