"Visions" marks my second Blumhouse movie in less than a week (the first being "Curve"). Hey, we all set records right? Now then, to the subject at hand... If most entries in the haunted house genre represent family members at a reunion, "Visions" would be the eccentric relative. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but I was surprised to discover that the story avoided such damaging pitfalls as cliché overload, crappy acting, etc. I went into this expecting a ghost tale, and I got it, but it wasn't what I assumed it to be. Which, in this case, was quite welcome, after being routinely bored with what the genre usually offers. The pacing is decent, with some understandably slower moments to elevate tension. The general vibe I get from the reviews here, regarding the "jump scares", is that they're mediocre at best. All I know is, my heart skipped a few beats and I was momentarily frightened in a number of places. But, that may not be the case for everyone! The cast was fun to watch, including Jim Parsons in a dramatic deviation from his well- known mega-nerd on the Big Bang Theory. Isla Fisher, after taking the back seat in Now You See Me and The Great Gatsby proves here that she can be a leading lady. Not a strong one (I felt that some of her delivery was on the weaker side), but definitely a character you empathize with. Then there's Anson Mount of "Hell on Wheels" fame providing some gruff macho support in the form of Fisher's husband. You've also got Gillian Jacobs and Eva Longoria to fill out the cast, so overall the casting director performed their job well. In terms of movie twists, the one to conclude "Visions" doesn't rank anywhere near "Usual Suspects" or "Primal Fear", but it still made my jaw drop. Dare I say, it even gave me a brief chill. What's important to note is that it is also a plausible twist, and everything we see up to that point makes perfect sense by the time the credits roll. In all honesty, this would probably fizzle out at the box office and receive a collective "meh" from critics, but as Netflix fodder, it's definitely a gem.
Review of Visions
