"The Gallows" documents a conniving high school student who convinces his jock friend — a bad actor starring in the school play— to trash the set before opening night in order to sabotage the production; along for the ride is his girlfriend. Things get progressively messy when they are interrupted by the play's female lead who comes to investigate, and they find themselves locked inside the school with the vengeful ghost of a student who died onstage in the same play twenty years before.
Where do I even start? As everyone knows, this is a "found footage" movie, widely abhorred and widely berated by hardcore genre fans and casual moviegoers alike. Make no mistake, "The Gallows" brings zero to the table in terms of innovation in regard to the sub-genre— but honestly, what more innovation could be had? "The Blair Witch Project" essentially set the standard over fifteen years ago, and more or less, every post-millennial found footage horror attempt is toiling in its wake. We know this. Critics know it. And yet, these films are still trending nearly two decades later.
Why? Well, because some of them do work the formula well, even if it's absolutely silly. "The Gallows" is one of these. The actors do senseless things, the camera is always inexplicably rolling, and yet we're still watching, either shaking our heads or enjoying the ride. Technical presentation aside, what I think I found appealing about the film was its use of setting— an old high school after dark. A motif that goes back to the 1980s, we have a bunch of teenagers running amok inside a high school (which by virtue is spooky at night), tormented by an attacker— here, it's a supernatural one. The film is traditional in that sense, and almost plays out like a supernatural slasher flick, and the noose and stage plot devices are definitely different from the norm.
The typical use of shadows, noises, and bumps galore are utilized to their full extent here, and were even able to get a couple of jolts out of my jaded genre lover's body. A particularly stunning sequence bathed in red light, which appears on the film's poster and as the staple of its advertising campaign, was one of the most craftily-orchestrated scenes I've seen in a horror film this year. The acting is overall pretty good, especially for a cast of young unknowns. Amateurish at times, but overall very serviceable, particularly the two female leads. The ending of the film is admittedly absurd and follows the found footage formula to a T— for that I do have to knock it a bit. This could have ended with a bit less fluff and been all the better for it.
Overall, "The Gallows" is an enjoyable flick. It is not innovative or refreshing in the slightest, but it plays up its best qualities for maximum effect, and it's engaging and at times surprisingly thrilling in spite of filling its found footage shoes. There are some throwback elements as well that recall slasher traditions of the eighties, which may be a major reason that I inexplicably enjoyed the film no matter how silly it was or became. A fun, contrived ninety minutes. 6/10.
Where do I even start? As everyone knows, this is a "found footage" movie, widely abhorred and widely berated by hardcore genre fans and casual moviegoers alike. Make no mistake, "The Gallows" brings zero to the table in terms of innovation in regard to the sub-genre— but honestly, what more innovation could be had? "The Blair Witch Project" essentially set the standard over fifteen years ago, and more or less, every post-millennial found footage horror attempt is toiling in its wake. We know this. Critics know it. And yet, these films are still trending nearly two decades later.
Why? Well, because some of them do work the formula well, even if it's absolutely silly. "The Gallows" is one of these. The actors do senseless things, the camera is always inexplicably rolling, and yet we're still watching, either shaking our heads or enjoying the ride. Technical presentation aside, what I think I found appealing about the film was its use of setting— an old high school after dark. A motif that goes back to the 1980s, we have a bunch of teenagers running amok inside a high school (which by virtue is spooky at night), tormented by an attacker— here, it's a supernatural one. The film is traditional in that sense, and almost plays out like a supernatural slasher flick, and the noose and stage plot devices are definitely different from the norm.
The typical use of shadows, noises, and bumps galore are utilized to their full extent here, and were even able to get a couple of jolts out of my jaded genre lover's body. A particularly stunning sequence bathed in red light, which appears on the film's poster and as the staple of its advertising campaign, was one of the most craftily-orchestrated scenes I've seen in a horror film this year. The acting is overall pretty good, especially for a cast of young unknowns. Amateurish at times, but overall very serviceable, particularly the two female leads. The ending of the film is admittedly absurd and follows the found footage formula to a T— for that I do have to knock it a bit. This could have ended with a bit less fluff and been all the better for it.
Overall, "The Gallows" is an enjoyable flick. It is not innovative or refreshing in the slightest, but it plays up its best qualities for maximum effect, and it's engaging and at times surprisingly thrilling in spite of filling its found footage shoes. There are some throwback elements as well that recall slasher traditions of the eighties, which may be a major reason that I inexplicably enjoyed the film no matter how silly it was or became. A fun, contrived ninety minutes. 6/10.