Okay, we all know the drill with these "first person perspective" horror movies. A small group of people take their camcorders and investigate a haunted school. The viewer is then treated to the footage of their investigation, which will undoubtedly include strange occurrences and ghostly apparitions. "POV: A Cursed Film" can be summarized into three parts.
The opening half hour includes a fairly effective introduction to the characters and storyline. Two girls are hosting a television show and they decide to do a segment on ghost videos. They see a creepy one and a strange incident occurs in their studio. After consulting a psychic, they go to the location of the video. This portion of "POV" is pretty good, with a creepy rooftop video scene as a highlight.
The middle half hour is spent inside the school, but is somewhat mediocre and dull. It includes a few cheap jump scares and some filler material, as well as some questionable decision-making on the part of the characters. The scare tactics are familiar and not all that effective. At this point I was wavering as to whether or not I would give "POV" a passing grade.
The final half hour concludes the investigation within the school, and also includes a 15-minute sequence after the first set of ending credits, as well as a 1-minute sequence after the second set of ending credits. Most fortunately, the finale within the school is much better than the middle section because it uses supernatural obstructions in creepy, interesting ways. The post-credit sequences, however, are the best parts of "POV" and include a memorable haunting inside of a movie theater (where the raw footage of the investigation is being screened). This sequence gives "POV" a bit of uniqueness when compared to its peers. Having the best part of the film at the end definitely helps to leave a good taste in the viewer's mouth.
On the technical side, this film has a low budget (like many recent J-horror films) but also seems to have minimal editing and some very long takes. Even during the less interesting moments, it's impressive to see the actors interact and the camera move without cuts in the action. There is some shaky cam during one chase, but it's not used much.
Overall, "POV" is worth a watch for fans of "first person perspective" horror, but if you dislike this sub-genre you're best served to stay away from this.
The opening half hour includes a fairly effective introduction to the characters and storyline. Two girls are hosting a television show and they decide to do a segment on ghost videos. They see a creepy one and a strange incident occurs in their studio. After consulting a psychic, they go to the location of the video. This portion of "POV" is pretty good, with a creepy rooftop video scene as a highlight.
The middle half hour is spent inside the school, but is somewhat mediocre and dull. It includes a few cheap jump scares and some filler material, as well as some questionable decision-making on the part of the characters. The scare tactics are familiar and not all that effective. At this point I was wavering as to whether or not I would give "POV" a passing grade.
The final half hour concludes the investigation within the school, and also includes a 15-minute sequence after the first set of ending credits, as well as a 1-minute sequence after the second set of ending credits. Most fortunately, the finale within the school is much better than the middle section because it uses supernatural obstructions in creepy, interesting ways. The post-credit sequences, however, are the best parts of "POV" and include a memorable haunting inside of a movie theater (where the raw footage of the investigation is being screened). This sequence gives "POV" a bit of uniqueness when compared to its peers. Having the best part of the film at the end definitely helps to leave a good taste in the viewer's mouth.
On the technical side, this film has a low budget (like many recent J-horror films) but also seems to have minimal editing and some very long takes. Even during the less interesting moments, it's impressive to see the actors interact and the camera move without cuts in the action. There is some shaky cam during one chase, but it's not used much.
Overall, "POV" is worth a watch for fans of "first person perspective" horror, but if you dislike this sub-genre you're best served to stay away from this.
