The Other Side of the Door (2016) User Reviews

what is it with horror movies and lost potential?!

[kieranbattams · 4/10 · 10 March 2016]

Like, seriously. Here we have a film with a plot that genuinely sounds decent but the filmmakers are incapable of pulling off. Sound familiar? Well that is because this has happened already this year with The Forest.. but The other side of the Door manages to be even worse. Horror films used to be inventive and fun in a twisted way, but is that now impossible to pull off?!

The plot involves a woman who's son is killed in a terrible and tragic accident, she discovers she can communicate again with him through an ancient Indian temple, but is warned to never open the door. Of course, if you warn somebody in a cliché horror movie not to do something they are totally gonna do it and she does which brings all the spirits into the world of the living. It could have been done so well.. but i put emphasis on the COULD. First of all the son is evil now. Literally a line of dialogue is "he is evil". Now, correct me if I'm wrong but this was never explained.. ever. Are we supposed to just look at him and say "yeah that makes sense considering he's dead". There was no hint to this when he was alive and no back story.

Unexplained things like this happened a lot in this film and it really bugged me. Nothing was ever scary, not even the jump scares made me jump, which is a bad sign to begin with. Not to mention i drifted off many times for a few seconds over the course of the film.. which should never happen if i am enjoying something. By that i mean i did not enjoy any of this film. The premise is great but the way it was executed just felt so wrong. So in the end, this film is just another cliché horror garbage fest that i will end up forgetting about by the end of the week probably. I really hope i get the horror i crave by the end of the year, 10 Cloverfield Lane is why i remain hopeful.

Pet Cemetery Is Now Open For Kids

[tmdarby · 6/10 · 2 June 2016]

It was a pretty good movie, nothing spectacular, but worth a watch. The acting was decent, and the atmosphere was pretty creepy. The story it self was very predictable, especially if you've read Pet Cemetery. Sarah Wayne Callies was terrific in it. I just didn't find the story very original.

I liked that it was set in India and incorporated some of the Indian religions and customs.

Don't expect anything ground breaking, but it's a good movie to watch if you like jump scares. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend and hour and a half.

Another clichéd horror movie

[myignisrules · 5/10 · 10 March 2016]

I'll be honest. I think if I hadn't seen this in cinema,with the lights off, the loud sound system and the big screen, I would've given it a lower score. If you saw The Forest earlier this year, you know what to expect from The Other Side of The Door.

The Good: I know a lot of peeps don't like her, but I think Sarah Wayne Callies has a great presence and a naturalness to her performances that I enjoy. She made for a believable mother, who had to make the kind of choice no parent should ever have to. Jeremy Sisto is another actor I like (remember him as the guy who got the arrows in his back in Wrong Turn?) and the kid actress, while average, didn't annoy me and actually appears in one of the better/scarier scenes in this movie. I also liked that the location was India and the evil/dark presence was part of their folklore. It was a little something new, that I hadn't really seen in North American films.

The Bad :Cliches, clichés, clichés! When for the love of Rice will they stop using the tired old tropes of : -Ghost with hollow eyes and stretched mouth (CGI of course) Look over there! Oops no, it's right next to you! (accompanied with loud ass noise) -Parent is completely absent from story for no reason, only to show up at the end. Sisto is VASTLY underused in this movie, to the point where I wondered if there was bad editing and he had scenes that were cut out. -Not following your own rules! (Burn stuff and ghost goes away, but wait, nope!) - Told not to do something or else. Does it anyway! -Witness the supernatural. Interact with the supernatural. Denies it exists.

I could go on and on, but nobody likes to read these days so I'll just stop and say, wait for it on DVD and watch it to pass the time. The Other Side of the Door, may scare the average horror viewer, but it's tepid waters, for the hardcore lovers of the genre.

Its themes will linger with you much longer than any other supernatural horror this year.

[jordanhuntgeneral · 25 August 2016]

Prison Break's Sarah Wayne Callies carries this British-Indian horror production with the same demeanour as her more familiar role; maternal enough to sell the film's major theme, yet strong enough to carry the entire feature. This, after all, is what Callies is tasked with, as the grieving mother she portrays invites her dead son's spirit back to the world of the living with inevitably chilling consequences.

While the majority of studio horror nowadays is bound by so many stipulations - the jump scares, the teenage cast demographics - that ultimately render it generic, The Other Side of the Door benefits from a refreshing change of setting in its Indian locale. As a result, not only does the film look elegantly beautiful with its colours and scenery, but its plot also benefits from a less familiar cultural angle than most supernatural thrillers are afforded. The central menace here - a temple doorway through which the living can contact the dead - is so far removed from Western ideology and the recurring origins of its horror movie monsters that the film undeniably offers something that is at least different, if not completely new. The second act, where things go bump in the night as Maria questions the nature of the spirit she's allowed back into her home, is admittedly routine, but that's not the issue with modern horror; the issue is whether or not it can at least try to overcome this mundane narrative.

This is where the screenplay's wider themes come in to sharper focus, as the audience encourages Maria to make the right choices while sympathising with her fragile state of mind. The horror isn't simply limited to creepy children and unseen entities, but also the lengths a parent is compelled to go to in order to be reunited with a lost child. It's most certainly enough to make the more pedestrian scares forgivable as you witness a family being torn further apart by their loss just as much they are the shadows that lurk around them.

The Other Side of the Door won't terrify you any more than any other supernatural horror released this year, and that's because, by now, genre aficionados really have seen it all. What it will do, however, is linger with you much longer as you place yourselves in the shoes of an emotionally drained mother who, you understand, would do anything to see her son again.

Don't bother opening

[kosmasp · 3/10 · 14 February 2020]

Your time should be too precious to go through it (the door/the movie). Technically speaking the movie is ok, there is nothing to fault here. But if the inciting incident is so bad, it should make you feel physical pain, there is almost no saving grace. Especially because the story is cliche after cliche after cliche.

Now I'm not about to bad mouth the actors (I quite like Jeremy Sisto in general anyway to do that), I'll just state that they didn't or rather couldn't help the matter either. And again, I wouldn't lay blame on them (other than chosing the project in the first place - but hey they needed the money and all that) - don't watch it if you're not a sucker for horror movies in general. And even if you are, there are so many really good ones out there ... or even decent ones that are better than this movie

The tale of horror beyond the border of cultures, told by an excellent cast.

[quincytheodore · 7/10 · 24 February 2016]

It's always a risk when Hollywood takes the premise of horror from other countries, because there's lingering intrinsic value that might not be conveyed properly. Luckily, a good atmospheric nuance, respect for the culture and outstanding acting performances, even from the child actress, ensure that "The Other Side of the Door" releases a harrowing experience for audience from any side of the globe.

Maria (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Michael (Jeremy Sisto) are a western couple living in India. Everything seems fine, but unfortunately she is struck by a tragic accident. Trapped in unstable state and in an attempt to remedy this, she performs a dark ritual. It's a very compelling set-up, because the local ambiance of India is preserved appropriately, and fine acting from the entire family produces a compelling story.

Sarah Wayne Callies does a wonderful job as the desperate mother, she's utterly believable and sympathetic to audience. The strong performance goes a long way to build up dread, in fact a lot of the terrifying scenes work because she, in a sense, sells them so well. Jeremy Sisto is also a decent addition as the concerned husband and father.

Typically, the accusation of one's mental health is a staple gimmick of horror, yet it's quite understandably for the on-screen family to undergo this struggle. Credit goes to Sofia Rosinsky as the child, she's adorable yet shows enough peculiar signs to make viewers wonder if the ordeal has changed her. The movie even throws a cuddly dog to raise the eerie tension and apprehension whether it will also be a victim.

Cinematography adds the traditional value as it includes the grimy nature of India. It often shows the city or village in suitable tone, details such as those in the busy streets or quiet alleys are fine additions. Suchitra Pillai-Malik as Piki the maid rounds up the cast, while also gives a more identifiable foreign vibe.

The creepy moments, admittedly, aren't incredibly original. The movie has a nice buildup, but it plays around with the usual trepidation and suspense of dark corners while the narrative is also predictable since it gives many hints. However, the cast and presentation deliver confidently. The production knows its way around the genre, giving the horror the right and occasional unforeseen timing, so they never feel like cheap scares.

"The Other Side of the Door" opens up many chances for horror with its appreciation of foreign culture and delightfully convincing performance from its cast.

Meh

[faridat-91789 · 5/10 · 8 June 2016]

Since a good horror film like "the others" or "shining" apparently comes every decade or two, I've stopped having high expectations. I'm not sure what, but may be horror films can either be masterpieces or a failure. Or it's just that not much budget is put into them. Acting, premise and plot was decent. So I feel a little unfair when I'm gonna bring down so much good work just because of poor writing.

The beginning was appropriately paced fast enough, but it is then that you also realise the narration fails to develop the characters.

Passed mid time, story begs for the resident of the house to question the sudden change in his house, and he doesn't. At that point I start skipping before I get bored.

I watched this because another comment said it was worth a watch. Well, I'm recommending it is if you have some side activity, or if you easily get excited .

Alright Horror Film, Not the Horror Movie of the Year, but not terrible

[writeractor-979-344542 · 7/10 · 6 March 2016]

I saw this movie at 10:20AM on Saturday, in a completely big empty theater with my party of three (including myself). Now, when I saw the preview for the film, I was very intrigued. I wanted to know what happened, so I was shocked when one of my main movie theaters was playing it but then yet again, it's an indie theater. Now the whole set design of this film, was great. I thought it was something new to set it in India and it's a original idea. They actually payed respect to the culture. Now some of the jumpscares were annoying, but only some. They had great effects though for the 'gatekeeper', no CGI actual makeup. The performances were solid, the little girl wasn't atrocious, but she fitted her character well, nothing great, it's like she-just- acts-for-that-scene. Sarah Wayne Callies was much better than she needed to be, Jeremy Sisto was sort of just there, but he did well. The director tried to take this new approach to the film, which worked most of the time. It has old-classic scares like piano playing by itself, chairs moving, books falling, etc. Not really any new scares. This isn't the must see horror film of the year, but it's a solid watch with a very clever ending.

Shudderingly predictable horror nonsense

[timdazjef · 1/10 · 8 March 2016]

SPOILERS AHEAD!!! "Let me know if you can't find a seat," said the usher as I entered the cinema. I didn't realise until I got in that he was being sarcastic. Only me and four other fools had chosen this garbage over 'Hail Cesar!', and two of them were annoying teenage tw*ts who couldn't keep their f*cking mouths shut for the duration of a one and a half hour film, which didn't help make this experience any more pleasant. Where to begin? Well, let's start with the -ahem - plot. A nice helpful Indian lady tells a grieving mother she can say her last goodbyes to her son at some temple where the dead hide behind a locked door. "Whatever you do, don't open the door," says the Indian lady. Oh dear. You know, I know, and she knows - daft cow - that the grieving mother bloody well will open it. Of course she will. What did you tell her that for? Sure enough, she can't resist and her son returns to the family home to terrorise everyone by playing the piano in a spooky way. He's not her son, you see. He's evil. To show just how evil he is he kills off the silly Indian Lady - serves her right, frankly - then possess the woman's other child. "Come into me instead," says the mother, cos' we've all seen The Exorcist, right? She looks around for a window to throw herself out of a la Father Karrass, but she can't see one and anyway the scriptwriters don't want you thinking they couldn't come up with something themselves, so she decides to get knifed instead by some Zulu bloke who just happens to be hanging around, helpfully wielding a knife. She dies, but then wakes up on the steps of the temple and hears her husband calling to her from the other side of the door. Good Christ, don't these people ever learn? This sets things up nicely for a sequel that absolutely nobody wants.

Badly acted, badly written, not even scary. You will forget everything about this film as soon as you leave the cinema apart from how bad it was. Epic fail.

This is one Oliver who doesn't need an army.

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 29 January 2017]

Directed by Johannes Roberts and Roberts co-writes the screenplay with Ernest Riera. It stars Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto, Sofia Rosinsky and Suchitra Pillai.

Still struggling to come to terms with the death of her young son, Maria (Callies) is told of an Indian ritual where she can say goodbye to her son one last time, under one condition. The condition is that the conversation will be on the other side of a door - a door which simply must not be opened...

There were far worse horror films than this released in 2016, that's not to say this should be a selling point for The Other Side of the Door, but it at least is effective in what it does. The problems really are that it's all very cliché ridden, but how many horror films do not have clichés anyway? This is one for those who are just after a few genuine scares, some creeping dread like atmosphere, and a nifty ending. It doesn't tread any new ground, and it comes off like the bastard child of Ringu and Pet Sematary, but sometimes a safe horror with clichés is all you need for a decent night in with the lights off. 6.5/10

Tedious

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 30 October 2019]

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR is another cheap, tedious and digital modern horror movie with a supernatural plot. The main characters are a dull married couple living in India. When their child dies, the mother enlists the use of black magic to bring him back, and of course things don't play out as expected. Sadly this is one of those productions that takes forever to go anywhere, and by the time it does you wish they hadn't bothered. Sarah Wayne Callies is just as annoying as she was in THE WALKING DEAD (and an equally bad parent!) while the major scare scenes just openly rip-off those in THE GRUDGE.

Some great visual horror

[jonathanerk30 · 8/10 · 15 November 2021]

It appears from the reviews that true horror fans appreciate this whereas people who are just looking at it from a story perspective grade it much lower. As a horror fan , and never heard of the film I was pleasantly surprised of how creepy and scary it was with some genuine disturbing moments that are lacking from many modern day horrors. I do not know why the score is so low so hopefully this will bolster it !

Give it a chance before reading reviews

[Abbark · 7/10 · 8 June 2016]

I love horror. These movies are a bit overdone,however I loved the casting. Sarah Wayne Callie's is one of my favorite actresses and Jeremy Sisto can always pull it off. This movie is predictable, however, I watched until the very end. I paused when doing something else! It definitely has some super creepy scenes. They did a great job at making this movie as realistic as possible when dealing with the genre. I ignored the reviews and ratings and rented this on demand. Looking back I would have waiting until Netflix or a non pay. Instead I wanted a good creep and I got it! This movie gets a B- from me and watch before you decide if it's a good or bad movie.

wow

[jimmehford · 1/10 · 11 May 2016]

i didn't have any expectations for this movie but wow this was complete and utter garbage

there is absolutely nothing good about this movie

the scares are predictable and cheap the mother character is the worst the daughter has the worst actor the setting did nothing to establish the folklore or story the ending was stupid the decisions were stupid the characters are stupid

i just don't know what to say other than just say that everything about this movie is bad

i mean the mom was told to not open the door under any circumstances and what does she do? she just opens the cockadoodie door

i genuinely hate this movie this is one of the worst movies I've ever seen

Waste of time

[abhiunchained · 1/10 · 26 May 2016]

This is my 1st time reviewing anything on IMDb. But I've decided to write so that no one else will waste their time behind this movie. I mean seriously this is one of the most non-sense horror movie I've ever seen. It is so typical and not worth it.

Couple lives in India. Mommy driving SUV, it falls in river. Mommy only saves daughter. Mommy couldn't save son. Mommy feels bad about it. Mommy's Indian maid tells her that there is hidden temple in rural India where Mommy has to stay overnight behind closed door. Mommy can talk to son but Mommy must not open the door. In a typical manner, desperate Mommy yet opens the door. As it turns out, the son's evil spirit comes from "dead" to haunt sister and daddy. And, the stupid story goes on. This movie is so pathetic it made me puke. Please don't see it. I'm going to make sure not to watch movie made by this director ever again.

The Other Side of the Door is decent horror which not only has great plot but also has decent execution which does not disappoint.

[shobanchittuprolu · 7/10 · 23 June 2016]

The Other Side of the Door (2016) : I expected a lot from 2016 horror movies because all of those trailers looked spooky and promising but when it comes for movie it is disappointing.Except The Conjuring 2,the others like The Boy,Forest etc..disappointed me.But I will agree that though they fail to impress,they have interesting plots.The Other Side of the Door also has interesting plot and even its trailer looked promising.How is it??

Plot: Michael (Jeremy Sisto) and Maria (Sarah Wayne Callies) are Americans who settled in Mumbai.Their happy life gets upside down when their son Oliver dies in a tragic incident.Maria learns of a secret temple in a village where she can contact with her dead son through a door which connects to the other world.But she was warned that she should not open that door at any cost.But she disobeys it and opens the door which upsets the balance between life and death.What happens to Maria and her family???

Plus Points: 1)Plot: Plot of The Other Side of the Door is interesting one.An American horror set in India and based on Indian rituals is truly a step for good plot.

2)Performances: Performances are decent and Sarah Wayne definitely shines among them. She gave good performance as grief stricken mother who wants to bring her dead son back.

3)Make Up: Make up work is awesome.The use of Aghoras and Indian religious characters like Mruthyu is good attempt.Even ghosts are done naturally by makeup without using any CGI which is needed to be appreciated.

4)Climax: Movie's climax is good and twisty.

Minus Points: 1)Limited Scary scenes: Out of all those scary scenes only the scene at temple succeeds.Other are clichéd and not that scary.

So The Other Side of the Door is decent horror which not only has great plot but also has decent execution which does not disappoint.

My rating 6.75/10

The Other Side of the Bore

[Seth_Rogue_One · 3/10 · 5 November 2016]

Being bored can have it's advantages, it might frustrate you of course but it can also inspire you to do things that aren't boring instead.

Personally I enjoy watching a good movie (something this is not), listening to some good music, going for walks or bike-rides, seeing new things and old things that are worth seeing more than once, playing chess etc etc.

I'm just rambling on here as you can see but that's because as far as this movie goes there is very little to be said.

If you like horrors to be familiar, meaning have all the clichés that's humanly possible packed into one movie or if you've never seen a horror ever in your life then I suppose this is watchable.

The acting is uninspired and the scares are poorly executed and the pace is painfully slow.

And the last scene is one of the dumbest I've seen in recent years, almost enough to lower the rating to a 2 but I'll be nice, they at least kind of sort of tried albeit not much.

Mainstream Horror done right! Not great, but definitely good, smart and fun!

[nitzanhavoc · 7/10 · 22 August 2016]

It's been a few months since my last Horror film, and I must start off by saying I'm very glad I've chosen The Other Side of the Door to ease myself back into it! Despite what other raters and reviewers might say (as usual, NEVER trust IMDb ratings when it comes to Horror), the film is good, enjoyable and scary enough without being nightmare inducing (at least for experienced Horror fans).

True, the story is a bit cliché, after all this is a Fox production, not an indie creative project. A family suffers a tragedy, and while trying to cope begins to experience a supernatural haunting. However, the story succeeds in being original and innovative enough in regards to the plot-line, especially during the transfer from past to present just after the exposition, and the frame concept of a door through which one could converse with a deceased loved one.

The acting is right on the spot, and is definitely one of the stronger features! Sarah Wayne Callies is excellent as Maria, the distraught mother trying to cope with the loss of her son, and later with the supernatural phenomenon tormenting her family. Her counterpart, Jeremy Sisto as Maria's husband Michael, is absolutely excellent! His portraying of the strong husband, trying to be an island of strength and normalcy in his wife's depression while quietly trying to cope with his loss himself, is impressive and simply profound. Only slightly less impressive is Suchitra Pillai as Piki, the nanny (and I do mean slightly, as she is excellent as well). As for Sofia Rosinsky as the daughter Lucy, I can see the obvious talent, but am not too happy with the instructions she obviously followed with her character. Often times characters are over dramatic, but Lucy felt under-dramatic, even if it meant portraying a more accurate seven year old's coping with the loss of her brother and the deterioration of her mother.

As for jump-scares, yes, there are a few, but anyone who's watched 5 Horror films in their lifetime could tell you that these were subtle, well planned and definitely not exaggerated. A few "boo!" moments don't spoil a Horror film for anyone who isn't looking for reasons to not enjoy (in my opinion of course). The soundtrack and cinematography were also right on the spot, adding a fine dimension of eeriness and uneasiness.

Now, if jump-scares always lower a Horror film's level (even if just slightly) when I'm concerned, smart plot twists and endings definitely make it higher! The film ends with a very nice twist towards the ending, and with a very smart conclusion leaving many questions and "what-ifs". A direct sequel is probably ill advised, as these tend to butcher the franchise and have so far only been done right in Insidious: Part 2 (and even that film wasn't as good as the first). Still, I love finishing watching a Horror film with this feeling of "oh no... oh no!!".

All in all, as I've started by saying, a good film, fun to watch, scary and eerie in the right places, a great experience for both experience and new Horror fans. It's not a masterpiece, and might even be just "good" and not "great" (especially, in my opinion, because of too little screen time given to the first twist, not letting it settle before jumping to the 2nd one, although this may have been deliberate...) But it definitely deserves more than the terrible average rating it currently has. I don't understand you, IMDb, I truly don't. I would definitely recommend this film, had a great time watching it!

It was a good effort, but it really falls short.

[subxerogravity · 5/10 · 5 March 2016]

I thought it was really stupid. I could not really get into it at all. It was like watching paint dry on the wall I was so bored.

All the clichés that are used in most Ghost stories to haunt us and to frighten us seem to fall short in The Other Side of the Door. I was not freaked out at all. The drama seems to get bumbled into laughable qualities.

It was cool that they went to (or the movie was set in) India, and they used what looks like an Indian ghost concept, and I will say that the last scene of the movie was very good. Not good enough to waste your time on.

If you seen the movie the Forest which came out a few weeks earlier, The Other side of the Door is set up in the same way with a good ghost story that's not as scary as you suspect, or frightening in a different way then what we are use to, but by comparison the Forest was a lot more interesting to sit through, while The Other Side of the Door is not worth it.

Brimful Of Atmosphere

[omendata · 7/10 · 7 November 2021]

Watched this fully for the firs time tonight and I must say it is actually a real horror film as it genuinely has lots of atmos-fear and is actually quite scary!

Being set in India adds that fear of the foreign and it has some really good sfx makeup.

Some people reviewing and giving it poor low scores are obviously not horror fans so each to their own - if you are a true horror fan this one will send shivers up and down your spine as it has some really rather creative effects and jump scares - Loved the ending too, true horror fans hate happy endings so for us, it is the cherry on the cake!

If you are looking for a scare then this is the one for you!

Disappointing horror movie: "You must not open the door!!"

[paul-allaer · 5/10 · 6 March 2016]

"The Other Side of the Door" (2016 release; 95 min.) brings the story of Maria and Michael. As the movie opens, we are informed that this is "Mumbai, India" and we see the couple having dinner and walking on the beach, On a whim, they decide to make Mumbai their home. We then go "Six Years Later", and Maria is having a nightmare, Soon we learn that the couple lost a young son (we learn how in a flashback) and the couple and their daughter are struggling in the aftermath. After Maria tries to commit suicide, the household maid Piki tells her about a mysterious temple in the woods far away, where Maria could meet her little boy one more time and say a final farewell. At this point we're not even 15 minutes into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest horror movie from British director Johannes Roberts, who most recently gave us "Storage 24". Here Roberts goes the super-natural dimension, looking for the thin line between life and death. I must admit that I didn't know a whole lot about this movie going into it, and as it turns out, this was quite the disappointment for me. If shock effects akin to a bat flying out of a cave or toys in a bedroom starting to move are enough to make it a scary movie, then this will be right up your alley. Not to mention that there are several plot points that are utterly unbelievable, even accounting for the fact that this is a horror movie, where all belief is suspended. This is in stark contrast to how much better that other 'horror' movie which I saw recently, "The Witch", was compared to this. Sarah Wayne Collins (as Maria), best know for her work in "The Walking Dead", does the best she can with the material she is given and as always is easy on the eyes. But even she cannot overcome the fact that the movie lacks much character development, and as a result there is little to no emotional investment on the viewer's part. Early on in the movie, Piki tells her that when she is in the temple, whatever her little boy does, "you must not open the door!!!". Wanna take a guess what happens? One of the better aspects of the movie is actually the score, courtesy of Joseph Bishara, a noted composer in the horror movie genre (the "Insidious" franchise, the "Conjuring" franchise, etc.).

"The Other Side of the Door" opened nationwide this weekend. The Friday evening screening where I saw this at here in Cincinnati was attended okay but not great. Couldn't help but notice that I saw 4 or 5 people leave midway through the film, and not returning. I made it to the end, but barely. A darn shame. I love a good horror movie, and surely this wasn't it, but by all means, if you have a chance to check out "The Other Side of the Door", be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, I'd encourage you to do so and draw your own conclusion.

I've seen a lot worse

[km-daykin · 8/10 · 29 May 2016]

I've read a lot of bad reviews slating this movie, I get why. Don't go into this movie expecting a great horror movie, it's not really a horror. It is however a really good tragedy which is portrayed using a medium of creepy devices. If you leave this movie and all you have is 'lame jump scares', you're missing the point of the story. If you're considering watching this, do it, it's worth the 1 hour 35. Each of the actors does a pretty stand up job, the direction and photography went well, my only gripe would be the editing. The flow of the story looked like it wanted to be a horror movie, when it should have looked like a 'Del Toro'.

I've seen better&worse,I Do think its worth seeing since opinions differ!,:)....

[InfinateANGELzPORTALz · 7/10 · 8 June 2016]

I was entertained from the start,&on into the ending honestly;).Granted being w/this growing popularly seen mix of genres(ie-Drama,Thriller,&Horror),I was drawn to it in honesty due to enjoying my horror&sci-fi type of flicks.I have seen as mentioned before,better,&worse-if not terribly done flicks,LOL!But this wasn't bad,although I will say that once you've watched it,you may agree in my saying that I wished the film was more in depth w/some points,along w/that I thought it would Also add length that I wished it had,&did have the potential to,to also make it better all around,¬ quite rushed together,IMHO-In My Humble Opinion!

Its of course started w/a couple who decides to stay abroad,&raise their newly beginning family,along w/his business gives him that freedom to.Hence where the story line of the movie,develops from w/this decision.As the movie progresses you see the locals abroad,&the family carry on,until disaster strikes them.Rendering the mother as expected,withdrawn more&more,even from her family who is there still.

So.Without giving away spoilers.As we all in fact have come to learn from studies,different yet find factual,& taught even in currently to keep in the know,& that even just about every country,along w/different locations throughout.

The mother learns of a legend,not far from where they live.Despite the situations,she doesn't want to pass the opportunity up,no matter what,Plus even knowing that if done wrong,the consequences are evil&dangerous.That said,Even in our own smaller townships,locals tend to know of,&even pass down the local stories,superstitions,or legends and so forth.Some vary from Evil &/or Bad,to Good or Fantasy-likenesses.But most are either hard to accomplish,have rules to follow&stick to,otherwise dire believes of consequences &/or even punishments will happen.

In the film there is so many parts they could have done more when it comes to history that's brought them to the present w/their local "Legend" that's still cautiously used,etc.In the movie,it leads you to where the mother pursues this legend.But,it goes awry as well.I admit that some things at this point of the flick Id expected,but it does continue on.Admittedly in the end it leads off to where you can maybe see the potential for a sequel maybe leaving off or looking also,into the legend...It wasn't a bad movie to me as I said,and think that its worth watching to see if you enjoyed its overall story line too!!!

Far from Original

[TheRedDeath30 · 5/10 · 17 September 2016]

From a purely "critical" point of view, this movie is pretty much garbage. It's an amalgamation of many parts that it has stolen from other, far better, movies. By transplanting the movie to the exotic locale of India, the movie hopes we forget that we've seen this all before. That's the critic in me speaking, though. From the point of view of entertainment, I would say, though, that the movie has enough moments to keep it from falling into horrid and bland territory.

The mom we all love to hate from THE WALKING DEAD plays to type here, as once again she has failed her children miserably. We start at the middle of the story, though, seeing a family dealing with the loss of their son (because we haven't seen that a thousand times in horror). Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori from TWD) and Jeremy Sisto play a couple who have moved to India. Through a series of reveals, we come to learn that an accident led to the mother and her two children trapped in their car as it descends underwater. She can only save one and makes a difficult choice, leading to the death of their boy.

Their caretaker has a solution, though. She knows of a temple where the dead can visit the living, allowing them to speak to lost loved ones. There is a dire warning, though, that this is only a visit and she is not to open the door, lest terrors await. Of course, our mother makes that fateful choice, opens the door and lets a malevolent spirit into their lives. If all of this sounds a little familiar, that's because it is a pretty blatant ripoff of PET SEMETARY. There are those that would tell you it's homage, but one man's homage is another man's stolen goods and this is a little too stolen. There are clues all over that they have done this, going so far as to use a picture of PET SEMETARY's director in the movie and naming the dog Winston (first name of Churchhill, who the cat was named for in PS). The stolen ideas don't stop there, either, as the makeup design for the boy is pretty much an exact replica of the famous ghost boy in del Toror's masterpiece, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE.

I'm going to nitpick another thing that bothers me here. Mom goes to a creep temple in the woods. She is told that the spirit will visit her here, but she is not to open the door. The spirit is outside the temple, knocking on the door. How, exactly, was she supposed to ever return home if she is inside the temple and is not able to open the door to the outside? A minor point, but one that stuck with me for awhile.

There is, also, a little too much going on here. We have the spirit of their boy, who is not the sweet little thing that they lost. He is angry and does terrible things to the family. We, also, get a creepy goddess, who is pretty much the girl from THE RING with slightly different makeup. It is angry that a spirit has escaped its' realm and come back for it, so now there is not just one spirit after the family, but two. That's not enough drama, apparently, because there is also some sort of death cult that keeps showing up out of the blue.

What saves the movie from disaster is the locale. I cannot recall another horror movie in my recent memory held in India and the location and setting gives it a different feel. The goddess feels like every other creep Asian horror icon, but the death cult is something I haven't seen used since THE TEMPLE OF DOOM when Indiana Jones battled with one. The house the family lives in is beautiful and the scene where mom runs through the streets of India looking for her little girl feel claustrophobic and would not have worked as well in another locale.

That is not enough to save this from being anything more than a forgettable movie, but one you won't regret watching. You'll just not be in any rush to ever watch it again.

One more note, can we stop with the dog deaths, Hollywood? Once upon a time, it was daring to kill a dog in a movie. People were shocked by it and, as a result, it had emotional resonance. It was an effective way to unsettle an audience. Now, every horror movie goes out of its' way to show us a dog in the opening scenes, which we just know will end up dead or injured. It's lazy writing and lazy film making.

feel fake

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 31 March 2019]

Antique traders Maria (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Michael Harwood (Jeremy Sisto) are struggling after the death of their son Ollie. They live in India with their daughter Lucy. Maria is still haunted by the guilt from Ollie's death and tries to commit suicide. Her housekeeper Piki suggests a way to connect with her son for one last time at an abandoned temple where the line between life and death is blurred. She warns her not to open the door.

This is a missed opportunity of mixing western horror with Hindu mysticism. Despite the exotic location shoots, the Indian aspect feels hollow. Like the lead characters themselves, they are looking at it through western eyes. It feels fake. The house and the temple are obvious studio stages but there are touches that make it feel ever like the indoor sets that they are. Quite frankly, Maria could at least dress in local garb. It's detrimental to the establishing of mood. There is a functional ghost story here and it really gets compelling with the child on child possession. Sadly, that happens way too late to save this movie. It's the only part that has the potential of real scares. It's mostly wasted.