Solid Concept
The movie is one of them found footage horror flicks. It's kind of like when YouTubers make a video about exploring an haunted building and records it. It's pretty much this film except they're filming for a show called Grave Encounters. They explore an haunted asylum and capture the footage of ghost activity. Except things go wrong for the worse cause the ghost will never let them leave. I enjoyed the film but there are problems with it. My opinion: when people die, I couldn't tell if they died because the deaths happened off screen and there's barely blood around. And it just seemed rushed and things are slow as well. And the ending was just...What? But I did enjoy the film and it was a solid concept
275 Reviews
An Uncomfortable Horror.
HotHamlet22 September 2022
So this movie is not at all as bad as people say it is. On this website (IMDB) the score is far too low. I'm specifically here talking about the Metascore and not the IMDB user score. It's 33/100 or 3.3/10 and for me that is too low. Now this movie is by no means a masterpiece even when we are strictly speaking about horror, but it's not a bad movie.
The story of this movie.... well it doesn't really have one to note. By this i don't mean there isn't one at all but rather there is very little to talk about when it comes to this movie. That is what i mean by "to note". The movie starts off with the introduction of the cast and what their deal is (they're a paranormal type TV show). But after their introduction into the movie everything else you need to know just happens as the movie progresses and there isn't really any deeper lore. It's simply a movie intended to scare and be uncomfortable and that's it. If you're looking for a horror movie with lore or really any story at all then skip this one.
The horror in this movie is actually ok. There are quite a few jumpscares however i actually though those were the least scary part of this movie (obviously this isn't including the first minutes of the movie). By this statement i simply mean that i found other parts more chilling and uncomfortable. The part that made me feel uncomfortable first was the fact that the building kept changing around them making for an uncomfortable experience for myself personally. I do not want to say more for fear of spouting spoilers, but this movies horror (for a found footage movie) is actually not bad. The place they are in isn't of our plain it seems. Nothing to blow you away i can assure you but at the very least it's average.
The cast of characters in this movie are my favourite part of the movie. I'm kinda surprised myself to say that i thought the acting in this movie was great. Compared to 99% of horror movie is watch, this movie has some of the best acting of them all. I truly believed that they were in this abandoned Asylum. Ever single actor was great in this film. The only one i didn't think was as good as the rest was Matt (played by Juan Riedinger). He wasn't bad at all just not as good as the rest of the cast. I really enjoyed their reactions and i felt like i was watching what real people would act like in this situation. Not perfect but very close too for a found footage.
Story - N/A
Horror - 6
Cast - 9/10
CGI/Monsters - 4/10
Compared to MOST found footage movies i believe this is one of the better ones, 6/10.
The story of this movie.... well it doesn't really have one to note. By this i don't mean there isn't one at all but rather there is very little to talk about when it comes to this movie. That is what i mean by "to note". The movie starts off with the introduction of the cast and what their deal is (they're a paranormal type TV show). But after their introduction into the movie everything else you need to know just happens as the movie progresses and there isn't really any deeper lore. It's simply a movie intended to scare and be uncomfortable and that's it. If you're looking for a horror movie with lore or really any story at all then skip this one.
The horror in this movie is actually ok. There are quite a few jumpscares however i actually though those were the least scary part of this movie (obviously this isn't including the first minutes of the movie). By this statement i simply mean that i found other parts more chilling and uncomfortable. The part that made me feel uncomfortable first was the fact that the building kept changing around them making for an uncomfortable experience for myself personally. I do not want to say more for fear of spouting spoilers, but this movies horror (for a found footage movie) is actually not bad. The place they are in isn't of our plain it seems. Nothing to blow you away i can assure you but at the very least it's average.
The cast of characters in this movie are my favourite part of the movie. I'm kinda surprised myself to say that i thought the acting in this movie was great. Compared to 99% of horror movie is watch, this movie has some of the best acting of them all. I truly believed that they were in this abandoned Asylum. Ever single actor was great in this film. The only one i didn't think was as good as the rest was Matt (played by Juan Riedinger). He wasn't bad at all just not as good as the rest of the cast. I really enjoyed their reactions and i felt like i was watching what real people would act like in this situation. Not perfect but very close too for a found footage.
Story - N/A
Horror - 6
Cast - 9/10
CGI/Monsters - 4/10
Compared to MOST found footage movies i believe this is one of the better ones, 6/10.
A solid halloween film.
tart-437368 September 2021
No Place For The Living...
azathothpwiggins9 November 2021
GRAVE ENCOUNTERS starts out as a parody of those "ghost hunter" reality shows, complete with an overly-dramatic host, a psychic, and an occult expert. The humor comes from the raw, unedited footage, where the stars mock and condemn the fakery of their own show.
The real fun begins when these same paranormal investigators take a film crew into an abandoned, supposedly haunted mental institution. After having themselves locked in for the night, our fearless adventurers settle in for what they expect to be a long, dull evening.
What follows is a slowly-spiraling descent into terror, madness, and death.
The best part of ENCOUNTERS is its midsection, which is nearly perfect in its tense buildup. By comparison, the finale is abrupt and a bit of a buzzkill. Still, as "found footage" films go, it's a damned good one.
As with most such films, it's best viewed in total darkness...
The real fun begins when these same paranormal investigators take a film crew into an abandoned, supposedly haunted mental institution. After having themselves locked in for the night, our fearless adventurers settle in for what they expect to be a long, dull evening.
What follows is a slowly-spiraling descent into terror, madness, and death.
The best part of ENCOUNTERS is its midsection, which is nearly perfect in its tense buildup. By comparison, the finale is abrupt and a bit of a buzzkill. Still, as "found footage" films go, it's a damned good one.
As with most such films, it's best viewed in total darkness...
Very Creepy
Theo Robertson12 March 2014
A TV production team decide to make a show featuring the paranormal . Knowing of a disused lunatic asylum with a reputation for hauntings they decide to visit there one night and investigate . Not taking anything seriously they explore the asylum but hear noises and begin to wonder if they might have made a mistake visiting the place
Yet another lost footage film and the hoary old criticism of when you've seen one of these movies you've seen them all comes in to play . That said GRAVE ENCOUNTERS plays the formula very very well and I'm probably not alone in stating that this is the best movie in its sub-genre . Before watching it I had a quick glance on this page and did find a lot of comments with adjective phrases like " I was terrified " and " Me and my friends had to switch the lights back on halfway through " and " I literally jumped out my seat " and my cynical response was yeah of course you did , so I put the lights out , put my headphones on and watched it on my laptop . It says something of its quality that several times while watching GRAVE ENCOUNTERS I was very tempted to put the lights back on and I too literally jumped out of my seat
Okay let's be honest . Having some characters walk around the dark using night vision and having loud sounds coupled with shock horror imagery appear from nowhere is a very cheap trick but the startle moments are very effectively done . . If there's any problem with the movie it's like all lost footage films where it takes a long while for things to get going . That said even at the start of the film there's an element of satire where the production team bribe someone to lie that they saw a ghost and bring in an actor claiming to be a psychic so the innuendo that all these paranormal shows like FACT OR FAKED are fraudulent are at the very least embellished or exaggerated is much appreciated by me . It also contains a good structure and tonal shift where the terror builds up slowly and while like other similar films the build up is a little bit slow once the horror element kicks off it is very compelling and superior to its peers
Yet another lost footage film and the hoary old criticism of when you've seen one of these movies you've seen them all comes in to play . That said GRAVE ENCOUNTERS plays the formula very very well and I'm probably not alone in stating that this is the best movie in its sub-genre . Before watching it I had a quick glance on this page and did find a lot of comments with adjective phrases like " I was terrified " and " Me and my friends had to switch the lights back on halfway through " and " I literally jumped out my seat " and my cynical response was yeah of course you did , so I put the lights out , put my headphones on and watched it on my laptop . It says something of its quality that several times while watching GRAVE ENCOUNTERS I was very tempted to put the lights back on and I too literally jumped out of my seat
Okay let's be honest . Having some characters walk around the dark using night vision and having loud sounds coupled with shock horror imagery appear from nowhere is a very cheap trick but the startle moments are very effectively done . . If there's any problem with the movie it's like all lost footage films where it takes a long while for things to get going . That said even at the start of the film there's an element of satire where the production team bribe someone to lie that they saw a ghost and bring in an actor claiming to be a psychic so the innuendo that all these paranormal shows like FACT OR FAKED are fraudulent are at the very least embellished or exaggerated is much appreciated by me . It also contains a good structure and tonal shift where the terror builds up slowly and while like other similar films the build up is a little bit slow once the horror element kicks off it is very compelling and superior to its peers
Scary
mistywater-3979522 January 2021
Let go and just have a good time-
nephythys31 August 2011
It's a waste of time to complain that movies like this have been done before. Yes, they have and if you don't like them, don't watch them. I don't think I will ever understand why people watch a movie like this expecting something totally new and different and super high art to fulfill their overly pretentious taste and make them feel like true film critics- Please.
We watched this movie last night via On Demand. A roomful of horror movie fans ranging in age from 11 to 39- and we had a great time. A wall crawling, giggling, screaming at the top of our lungs good time.
-and that's the point! Having a good time.
I don't need to have everything in a scary movie make sense, or be explained to me. I am not in school, I am having a laugh and a good time freaking out with the poor saps trapped in the haunted mental institution.
The story was tight enough to be good, loose enough to allow for the insanity that ensued. The characters were not cliché and the ending was not totally cookie cutter.
Bottom line- this movie was fun. There were moments when we laughed at it, but there were also moments that made us freak out and want to turn on the lights. Just stop over-analyzing, relax and go with it and have fun. If you have to nit-pick a movie to death you have way too much time on your hands.....HAVE FUN!
We watched this movie last night via On Demand. A roomful of horror movie fans ranging in age from 11 to 39- and we had a great time. A wall crawling, giggling, screaming at the top of our lungs good time.
-and that's the point! Having a good time.
I don't need to have everything in a scary movie make sense, or be explained to me. I am not in school, I am having a laugh and a good time freaking out with the poor saps trapped in the haunted mental institution.
The story was tight enough to be good, loose enough to allow for the insanity that ensued. The characters were not cliché and the ending was not totally cookie cutter.
Bottom line- this movie was fun. There were moments when we laughed at it, but there were also moments that made us freak out and want to turn on the lights. Just stop over-analyzing, relax and go with it and have fun. If you have to nit-pick a movie to death you have way too much time on your hands.....HAVE FUN!
A waste of a good idea
Omne11 March 2012
This movie had potential and it worked for the first 1/2 hour or so. Then it rapidly disintegrated, it's the only word I can think of that fits.
The beginning was genuinely creepy, the characters were terrified by relatively benign events, things moving by themselves etc. I thought it was a great idea. Show how REAL people would react to even minor activity. There was real suspense and I thought it was going to be pretty good. It takes so little to cause so much terror in real life. They should have run with that idea.
Then... it completely falls apart. They go for the big stuff. I'm sorry but when they change the rules, like they did here, violating all of the laws of physics and literally making anything possible it simply becomes "magic". Once a film is at the "magic" level it becomes a simple fantasy with no connection to reality and the fear vanishes instantly. There's no way I can relate to what's going on any more than I can relate to a movie like Hellraiser. If literally anything can happen then there's no real suspense, it's just a matter of finding out the details of the story and seeing how it ends.
I'm not even going to touch the "forever" batteries in the cameras and computers. Reminded me of the infinite repeating guns in the old westerns.
All in all a real disappointment for a movie that could have been so much more and a fresh new look at an old idea.
The beginning was genuinely creepy, the characters were terrified by relatively benign events, things moving by themselves etc. I thought it was a great idea. Show how REAL people would react to even minor activity. There was real suspense and I thought it was going to be pretty good. It takes so little to cause so much terror in real life. They should have run with that idea.
Then... it completely falls apart. They go for the big stuff. I'm sorry but when they change the rules, like they did here, violating all of the laws of physics and literally making anything possible it simply becomes "magic". Once a film is at the "magic" level it becomes a simple fantasy with no connection to reality and the fear vanishes instantly. There's no way I can relate to what's going on any more than I can relate to a movie like Hellraiser. If literally anything can happen then there's no real suspense, it's just a matter of finding out the details of the story and seeing how it ends.
I'm not even going to touch the "forever" batteries in the cameras and computers. Reminded me of the infinite repeating guns in the old westerns.
All in all a real disappointment for a movie that could have been so much more and a fresh new look at an old idea.
True to the genre and scary, with a small 'but'.
Booster7716 August 2011
I was fortunate enough to see Grave Encounters last night, a movie I have been waiting for, for a long time. And because I know there are a lot of people out there who still have to see it, I will not spoil anything, which makes it a bit harder to review the movie at this time, but I'll give it my best.
I loved the beginning of the movie, especially as a 'ghosthunters' and 'ghost adventures' fan. It is very clear that the makers of this movie have at least watched 'ghost adventures'. The cast is legit, this could've seriously been a new paranormal show, or at least it could've convinced me.
I loved it even more that the makers of 'Grave Encounters' (I mean the show in the movie) actually prove it is almost impossible to capture evidence each episode. This while that's what's required to keep a ghost hunting show interesting all the time, and how they are planning to deal with that in case 'once again' nothing happens, this was the only time I had to laugh during this movie. After that, the lockdown (that word sounded very familiar to me ;) began and the laughing stopped...
In contrary to what other reviews said, I DID find it very very scary at times, even the parts that were already in the trailer. There were moments that I literally jumped off my seat. If you're going to watch a movie about ghost hunters, of course you can expect slamming doors and stuff like that, I don't think one of my previous reviewers are very honest about that and I actually wonder what YOU were expecting. Of course there are screaming people all the time, giving the events of the movie (or even only half of them) I would've liked to see you in a situation like that!
I do however admit that the movie made some turns towards the end that I didn't expect and would rather have seen differently. Once again, without spoiling anything because I would hate to do that, I would rather have seen the makers keeping it ehm, a little less explosive and a little less revealing. Once you see the movie you'll understand what I mean.
I would have been more satisfied if the only thing that I had seen the entire movie are slamming doors and flying things for instance. But I guess that's also a matter of what you are willing to believe CAN happen.
So my only reserves are that the only reason that this will not be a new blair witch project, is because there is too much visually revealed. Metaforically speaking: keeping ghosts invisible is usually scarier.
Overall, I was greatly entertained, this was the first movie to seriously scare me while watching in over a decade, which says something coming from a die-hard horror fan (check my history). It has been worth my wait and I hope I see more from this crew in the future.
I loved the beginning of the movie, especially as a 'ghosthunters' and 'ghost adventures' fan. It is very clear that the makers of this movie have at least watched 'ghost adventures'. The cast is legit, this could've seriously been a new paranormal show, or at least it could've convinced me.
I loved it even more that the makers of 'Grave Encounters' (I mean the show in the movie) actually prove it is almost impossible to capture evidence each episode. This while that's what's required to keep a ghost hunting show interesting all the time, and how they are planning to deal with that in case 'once again' nothing happens, this was the only time I had to laugh during this movie. After that, the lockdown (that word sounded very familiar to me ;) began and the laughing stopped...
In contrary to what other reviews said, I DID find it very very scary at times, even the parts that were already in the trailer. There were moments that I literally jumped off my seat. If you're going to watch a movie about ghost hunters, of course you can expect slamming doors and stuff like that, I don't think one of my previous reviewers are very honest about that and I actually wonder what YOU were expecting. Of course there are screaming people all the time, giving the events of the movie (or even only half of them) I would've liked to see you in a situation like that!
I do however admit that the movie made some turns towards the end that I didn't expect and would rather have seen differently. Once again, without spoiling anything because I would hate to do that, I would rather have seen the makers keeping it ehm, a little less explosive and a little less revealing. Once you see the movie you'll understand what I mean.
I would have been more satisfied if the only thing that I had seen the entire movie are slamming doors and flying things for instance. But I guess that's also a matter of what you are willing to believe CAN happen.
So my only reserves are that the only reason that this will not be a new blair witch project, is because there is too much visually revealed. Metaforically speaking: keeping ghosts invisible is usually scarier.
Overall, I was greatly entertained, this was the first movie to seriously scare me while watching in over a decade, which says something coming from a die-hard horror fan (check my history). It has been worth my wait and I hope I see more from this crew in the future.
Creepy? Yes. Scary? Not so much.
BA_Harrison26 November 2014
The Blair Witch Project meets Paranormal Activity meets The House on Haunted Hill in yet another low budget, found footage/mockumentary style horror that is short on originality yet genuinely high on atmosphere thanks to an effectively eerie setting: an old abandoned asylum.
While the characters—a group of ghost hunters filming a reality show—are wandering around the deserted, derelict building looking for proof of supernatural activity, Grave Encounters is surprisingly unnerving stuff, the abandoned building's deep, foreboding shadows and rooms full of creepy ephemera (old wheelchairs, rusty gurneys, broken shower stalls, and grimy bathtubs) ensuring a palpable sense of dread.
Where the film disappoints is with its actual scares: the encounters with the ghosts aren't as anywhere near as bowel-loosening as the makers had obviously intended, the shocks being very predictable, with the use of rather ropey CGI seriously weakening their overall effect.
While the characters—a group of ghost hunters filming a reality show—are wandering around the deserted, derelict building looking for proof of supernatural activity, Grave Encounters is surprisingly unnerving stuff, the abandoned building's deep, foreboding shadows and rooms full of creepy ephemera (old wheelchairs, rusty gurneys, broken shower stalls, and grimy bathtubs) ensuring a palpable sense of dread.
Where the film disappoints is with its actual scares: the encounters with the ghosts aren't as anywhere near as bowel-loosening as the makers had obviously intended, the shocks being very predictable, with the use of rather ropey CGI seriously weakening their overall effect.
Best found footage film since the first Paranormal Activity
mdnobles195 September 2011
Well it definitely has more in common with The House On Haunted Hill than REC. or Paranormal Activity when it comes to impact or freshness and believability but it sure knows how to frighten you frozen in your seat as them. It starts off as a somewhat mockumentary similar to The Last Exorcism that was pretty clever and entertaining as a phony ghost hunting reality show crew willingly lock themselves inside an abandon mental hospital only soon do the realize that it has a mind of its own. The way the movie escalates the terror, suspense and intensity was unrelenting and I have never had to cover my eyes as much or be sleepless after watching a horror movie since I saw the first Paranormal Activity and though Paranormal Activity was more effective with its scares this one was a heart pounding frightfest with ghoulish ghosts and activity around every corner as though you feel like you're right there with them in a never ending haunted house ride. The films direction, plot and theme is nothing new or ground breaking and the acting not as raw as some of the better found footage movies but once this sub-genre dies out this one will not be lost and forgotten and might be named as one of the best found footage film of all time, it is sure on the top of my list. Overall this definitely deserves a wide release as it's one of the scariest, entertaining horror movie of 2011 and sure it doesn't have originality on its side and ends on a predictable but still chilling note but I got to tell you Grave Encounters will get under your skin and it gives me another reason why I love the found footage horror movies so much because they're involving and terrifyingly raw which makes most of them unforgettable. Keep them coming because I for one can't get enough of them. Highly recommended! 7.7 out of 10
What
caylamflynn-9631517 April 2020
Nice
gianmarcoronconi17 June 2022
Paranormal Ghost Cheese Project.
jpurits-604-55921724 September 2011
How to sum up this movie ? If Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity had a mentally handicapped love child this movie would be it.
Right from the beginning you get the feeling that this movie is going to be sub par even by low budget film standards. From shaky camera work, with unneeded zooms, during interviews by a supposedly professional cameraman to more than silly looking "archive" footage of the mental hospital should have been clues to stop watching the movie and do something more worthwhile like watch the grass grow. But, like a real trooper, I decided to soldier on. My mistake.
Bad acting, to the point of laughable. But do not get me wrong, it is not "so bad it's good" type of laughable. Typical low budget scares, some very similar to Blair and P.A., that really do not scare any more because you have already seen their likes. Typical shaky camera running around through the dark. And, a more than predictable ending.
This movie lacks everything that a low budget horror needs to have in order to be good = originality and believable acting. The setting of the movie, mental hospital, opens up a lot of possibilities that could have made for a much better / scarier movie than this turned out to be, even on a shoe string budget.
Do not waste your time if you are looking for something original or scary unless you have never seen Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity, then you might find this to be, at best, half decent but, because of the acting, I doubt it.
Right from the beginning you get the feeling that this movie is going to be sub par even by low budget film standards. From shaky camera work, with unneeded zooms, during interviews by a supposedly professional cameraman to more than silly looking "archive" footage of the mental hospital should have been clues to stop watching the movie and do something more worthwhile like watch the grass grow. But, like a real trooper, I decided to soldier on. My mistake.
Bad acting, to the point of laughable. But do not get me wrong, it is not "so bad it's good" type of laughable. Typical low budget scares, some very similar to Blair and P.A., that really do not scare any more because you have already seen their likes. Typical shaky camera running around through the dark. And, a more than predictable ending.
This movie lacks everything that a low budget horror needs to have in order to be good = originality and believable acting. The setting of the movie, mental hospital, opens up a lot of possibilities that could have made for a much better / scarier movie than this turned out to be, even on a shoe string budget.
Do not waste your time if you are looking for something original or scary unless you have never seen Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity, then you might find this to be, at best, half decent but, because of the acting, I doubt it.
Do this at your own risk
Stanley391 August 2022
I am a sophisticated adult. I have seen thousands of movies. I can watch zombies, vampires, serial killers, sharks, alligators. Snakes, demons,live beheadings without batting an eye. But holy crap this movie scared the bejeesus out of me to the point of having to pause it, going for a walk and a drink to calm down, before resuming watching. This is serious blood curdling stuff. You have been warned.
it wasn't that scary
sallyalsaqaf15 August 2012
the movie started so slow noting scary for at least half of the film and i remember only 2 scary figures through the entire movie. when i first saw the rating and the reviews i thought it was going to be the best horror movie ever but it wasn't it tells the story of fake ghost hunters who enters a mad house that turns to be hunted the place was creepy but the thing is that they didn't focus on showing more scary figures just 2 and the people kept running through the entire movie also seeing such a movie from only one point of view( the film was showed through the hunters camera) wasn't that good there were too many details hidden like did people came to search for them ? did they found there bodies ? was time really passing fast or did the ghost manipulate the time ?
Absolutely Loved This Movie!
phanatic198920 September 2011
OK to save us all some time I will start with why you wouldn't like this movie. You would NOT like this movie if you are the kind of person who is looking for something "new." Most of the reviews from people who did not like this movie complained about it using stuff from other movies. May I remind everybody that the horror genre has been around for quite awhile and nearly every new movie has something an older movie has used at some point. The fact that it may seem cliché to some does not make it any less scary. A person doesn't get off a roller coaster and say "wow that was lame! It went just as fast and crazy as that other roller coaster!" The point is while the movie may use "common scare tactics", I still found it very suspenseful. If you are looking for a horror movie with believable acting, a freak show style exhibit of horrors, and a "OMG here it comes" feel, then I definitely recommend this movie. But if you are the kind of viewer who would rather criticize than sit back and be entertained, I suggest you stay home and see if you can come up with a genuinely "new" horror story.
Nice!
jaimellester19 April 2021
This is a pretty darn good movie, y'all! I wasn't scared, but there were absolutely some great little jump scenes. The characters are pretty great at acting like regular Joe's, but when they start getting scared, the acting improves ten-fold. They seem incredibly, truthfully terrified. It isn't a happy ending kind of movie, so be warned happy end lovers. Still, a great found footage horror and I look forward to GE2.
blah...
charleebrambleby20 June 2014
This movie was very disappointing, i was very much looking forward to a terrifying fright fest but i am sad to say that this is sadly not the case. The filming is quite frankly tacky, uninteresting and unoriginal and the special effects were laughable. If that wasn't enough to put you off the acting is incredibly flat with none of the characters having any depth nor relatable or redeeming qualities nothing new or exciting going on. It adds nothing new to the genre and does not help horror movies credibility. I spent the majority of the film longing for the end to save me during from boredom. If you are looking for something worth watching in the "found footage" genre i suggest you watch something like Blair witch, probably not Blair witch as that sucks too bit something like it...
Good setting and idea ruined by jumpscares...
markovd11130 November 2019
"Hey! Let's make a movie about about a haunted asylum swarming with ghosts of the patients and a mad doctor who worked there, but let's make it in found footage style and fill it with jumpscares instead of legit scares!" This practically sums the whole movie up. Instead of being fast, fun and filled with tension like the first two parts of "Rec", movie drags and feels slow and boring. Feeling of dread is present, but often completely destroyed by people running, screaming, camera shaking and video stuttering. I mean, you have that amazing location with a good background and you can do all sorts of stuff with it, but no, you go for jumpscares... It feels cheap and you can clearly see it was movie made for the teen audience who want to watch something scary at their party. I give it 6/10, just for the atmosphere, which can be good, but is ruined by rest of the movie. I don't really recommend it, but, hey, you do what you need to do, fellow horror movie fan...
An old concept revisited
EbichuTheHamster25 June 2012
Found footage films are nothing new and with this movie's low budget and the onslaught of similar films at the time it is easy to see why this probably went un-noticed. Though it is a good film which utilizes what it has to create an effective atmosphere. Despite this though, do not expect to be scared. The visual effects are used sparsely and do not offer anything new while the movie itself takes quite a bit of time to build up.
If you are a patient individual, this movie is quite interesting and worth your time. But if you have seen movies like this many times before hand then there is not much new here to see.
If you are a patient individual, this movie is quite interesting and worth your time. But if you have seen movies like this many times before hand then there is not much new here to see.
waste of a good idea
rebikins19 October 2011
what a waste of what could potentially be a great idea. Based very much on a 'Most Haunted' style show, it started of with you feeling that it was going to get quite intense, but then nothing! It was not scary but really could have been. the film was dragged out far too long and to be honest i got bored. I love scary films, but this was not scary. it did have a few jumpy bits, but that was it! I thought it would have been better if there was a bit more explanation at the end, I didn't really understand what happened in the end of the film. It ended with no desire to watch a sequel if ever was one released. If you cannot handle scary films then this is suitable for you, but if want like the scare factor this is not for you! Very disappointed
Do not watch this movie alone...
taniakuhl18 March 2012
I watch horror movies on a weekly basis and frankly I have grown tired of all the latest trends in horror films. Most of them consist of two hours of screaming while attractive, hormonally-charged young students get brutally tortured by disfigured hillbillies. Yawn. The 'cringe' factor is not entertainment. Who wants to spend money on a movie you can't bare to watch?
Geared with low expectations and a bowl of popcorn I decided to give Grave Encounters a go. Anticipating a minimal scare factor,I didn't think twice about watching it by myself. However, as the film progressed I started locking doors, switching on lights and making arbitrary phone calls to take the edge off. The combination of hand-held camera work,limited lighting and incredibly frightening ghosts had me looking over my shoulder for hours after watching it.
Surprisingly the unfamiliar actors and actress had me gripped in a tense and realistic chasm of emotions, especially Ashleigh Gryzko's believable performance. This film has the cinematographic suspense of Paranormal Activity 3 and will leave you on the edge of your seat up until the very end.
Give it a try... go on.
Geared with low expectations and a bowl of popcorn I decided to give Grave Encounters a go. Anticipating a minimal scare factor,I didn't think twice about watching it by myself. However, as the film progressed I started locking doors, switching on lights and making arbitrary phone calls to take the edge off. The combination of hand-held camera work,limited lighting and incredibly frightening ghosts had me looking over my shoulder for hours after watching it.
Surprisingly the unfamiliar actors and actress had me gripped in a tense and realistic chasm of emotions, especially Ashleigh Gryzko's believable performance. This film has the cinematographic suspense of Paranormal Activity 3 and will leave you on the edge of your seat up until the very end.
Give it a try... go on.
Scared the hell out of me!
alistair1822 October 2011
By no means does this movie bring anything new to the 'found footage' style movies. The characters are pretty forgettable and I didn't feel like I really cared if they lived or died. The story is severely lacking and the cast were pretty bad.
But somehow they managed to put all of that together and scare the crap out of me! Honestly haven't been quite so tense after a movie in a while and I am a rather seasoned horror movie fan. Lots of tension built with some jump in your seat moments. But overall I definitely think it is worth checking out if you are looking for a good scare. Probably on same sort of level as paranormal activity but with a lot more activity and tension! 7 out of 10
But somehow they managed to put all of that together and scare the crap out of me! Honestly haven't been quite so tense after a movie in a while and I am a rather seasoned horror movie fan. Lots of tension built with some jump in your seat moments. But overall I definitely think it is worth checking out if you are looking for a good scare. Probably on same sort of level as paranormal activity but with a lot more activity and tension! 7 out of 10
Blew Me Away!! Stop Reading This and Watch It!
doogiegonegood19 August 2011
Let me start out by letting you know I'm a horror movie addict. I probably watch 3-4 horror movies a week. I've watched nearly everything from the 1970s to now. I watch foreign horror movies. I listen to old radio dramas. You get the picture.
This movie stood out. Don't watch a trailer for it, I feel even that will spoil it. Make some popcorn, turn the lights off, put the volume high and hold on for the thrill ride.
I'm surprised this movie hasn't gotten more attention. It easily puts the rest of the found-footage flicks like Rec and Paranormal Activity in its pocket. It's not without its faults but I believe all the great scares and plot will more than make up for it.
The cast does a decent job, most of them are pretty believable especially the lead, the psychic, and the camera man. It's the perfect length and the atmosphere is great.
This movie stood out. Don't watch a trailer for it, I feel even that will spoil it. Make some popcorn, turn the lights off, put the volume high and hold on for the thrill ride.
I'm surprised this movie hasn't gotten more attention. It easily puts the rest of the found-footage flicks like Rec and Paranormal Activity in its pocket. It's not without its faults but I believe all the great scares and plot will more than make up for it.
The cast does a decent job, most of them are pretty believable especially the lead, the psychic, and the camera man. It's the perfect length and the atmosphere is great.
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