The Appearance (2018) User Reviews

There was just so much potential squandered here...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 17 December 2018]

I so much wanted to love this movie, given its premise and concept. But the movie just failed to convince me and turned out to be a rather mundane and, let's just be bluntly honest, mediocre movie experience at best.

The storyline had so much working for it, but writer and director Kurt Knight just failed to bring all loose ends together in a fulfilling way, and the potential of the storyline and story arches were nowhere near utilized to the extend of their full potential. Nor were the characters properly being utilized throughout the story, which definitely put a restriction on the acting performers.

I will say that they had a rather impressive ensemble of cast together for performing in the movie. Baylee Self - playing Isabel, the alleged witch - really carried the movie most of the way with her genuinely creepy performance. And I must say that Michael Flynn - playing abbot Scipio - also really performed exceptionally well in the movie, it was just such a shame that his character was not a more prominent one, especially given the outcome of the character. The same goes for actor Adam Johnson - playing Felix - his potential wasn't properly put to use either. And the lead roles played by Jake Stormoen and Kristian Nairn were also quite adequately performed - despite them not having the most interesting characters in the movie.

There was a genuine creepy atmosphere to the movie, with the lack of proper lighting and the enclosed tunnels, which definitely worked in favor of the movie, just a shame that all the potential of the movie was left squandered in a dark corner somewhere on the set.

"The Appearance" does have the audience guessing and speculating for sure, but it feels rather anti-climatic once the ending of the movie comes to fruition, and that didn't really help to lift up all the shortcomings that the movie had along the course.

I liked the atmosphere and the props, sets and costumes of the movie quite a lot actually, because it seemed very accurate to the period of time in which the movie was taking place, and it added a good amount of creditability to the movie, which was much needed.

This is the type of movie that you will most likely just watch once and never get around to watching again, because the movie just doesn't have the contents to support more than a single viewing.

Failed to deliver.

[deloudelouvain · 5/10 · 16 January 2019]

I was tired before I started watching The Appearance so I struggled staying awake with this movie. But it's not all due to me being tired, it's more because the movie wasn't that captivating. There was some good acting, like Baylee Self playing the alleged witch, but overall it wasn't that great. As for the horror parts they could have done much better. We're living in an era where a kid could make some decent special effects so for that this movie just failed. As for the story itself it wasn't bad but it has been done much better in the past with In The Name Of The Rose so watch or rewatch that one instead if you want a good movie. The Appearance is just a missed opportunity to make a good medieval horror movie.

The original is better

[thefanfx · 6/10 · 14 December 2018]

And its called The Name of the Rose (1986) , a weak remake lost the original feel

Snore

[Horror_Flick_Fanatic · 3/10 · 17 December 2018]

I had a difficult time with this film. It was very slow paced and not very interesting. Took some effort to see this one through to the end. On the plus side, it does have Hodor (Kristian Nairn) from Game of Thrones.

Stink. Stank. Stunk.

[Shauna63 · 1/10 · 12 June 2019]

Whew. Is it over? Hallelujah.

Despite nodding off a few times, I stuck it out to see if maybe there was a big payoff at the end. Uhhhh...yeah that would be a no.

Cor blimey what a stinker

[namstonk · 2/10 · 12 March 2019]

I gave it two for the fact 'well they made an effort' bless them. The lead actor Jake Stormoen should be called Jake Slightbreezeoen, lawks he is wooden, mind the script/dialogue was crummy.

Not Great, Not Awful

[Foutainoflife · 6/10 · 23 January 2019]

I liked this. I loved the story, thought the acting was ok and it was filmed well. The problem with it was the fact that it moved at such a slow pace and it wasn't as suspenseful as I wanted it to be. It would have also benefited from more of an attempt to tie things up a bit better. It had a couple of creepy moments and it didn't rely on a lot of played out jump scares or special effects. I may never watch it again but I'm glad I came across it and checked it out.

Careful, it's dark down here

[heronwatts · 5/10 · 5 June 2022]

Atmospheric and well filmed and it you're partial to people wandering dark corridors with a flaming torch, you've hit the jackpot A medieval inquisitor (with a trendy haircut) investigates a monks murder and to quiz a suspected incarcerated witch, throw in some modern dialogue and the odd murder, you have a formulaic mystery It's slow but entertaining, you can tell everyone tried hard and the music builds the tension. Set in a dark medieval fortress, but could have been in an Egyptian pyramid or an alien type spaceship - same principle, same script

With sharper writing with more horror it could have been an eight - as it stands, mid table mediocrity a 5.

Pretty decent

[TeslaPoncho · 7/10 · 8 December 2018]

Disclaimer - I'm a fan of medieval horror, so I was intrigued by this movie from the beginning. It's not scary and the idea itself is not original for this genre, but it is well put together and has very good authentic atmosphere to it. The acting is not bad either.

I was surprised by the ending and really think it's what made this film different. So it deserves a chance. Highly recommended to medieval fans.

Unfulfilled potential but not unentertaining

[Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews · 4/10 · 3 May 2022]

This really wasn't AS bad as I thought it was going to be. It looked pretty great throughout and the plot was pretty engaging.

However, there were big problems. While there was absolutely no reason for this movie to be two hours long, my biggest problem with this movie by far was the acting. While the, at best, mediocre dialogue did them no favors... the acting was pretty subpar all around. Poor Hodor, seems like such a nice guy but... this was not it. The main guy, the half blind guy and the witch were the only ones with redeeming moments and even those were far and few between. Everyone else, while I don't mean to be rude, we're giving very community theater vibes.

The movie did have a plot that contained potential and did achieve quite an atmospheric, creepy air. Unfortunately, the acting, dialogue and drawn out storyline with some significant plot holes really were it's downfall. This being said, it was not a failure and I did relatively enjoy it overall. Would recommend if you are patient and forgiving with a love for indi cinema.

Good atmosphere, enjoyable movie

[dctr666 · 8/10 · 15 December 2018]

The movie is interesting and eerie, much because of the scenery itself. The acting is good, and the movie, although a bit slow, is very nice Some user told this is a new version on The Name of the Rose....... But that's completely BS... It has nothing to do with it, with the exception of the religious background, the plague and some monks dying... But that doesn't mean that the movie is a copy of that old one (which, by the way, is awesome)

A decent period witch horror piece

[siderite · 7/10 · 4 July 2020]

I was starting to lose faith in Arrowstorm with the latest stuff I've watched, but this one movie has restored it. Which is kind of funny, considering the subject of the film. As usual, the feudal/fantasy pieces somehow turn out better than their sci-fi stuff.

You have an abbey where a curious death had happened, an investigator that believes in reason, not magic, a bunch of secretos monks that fear they are cursed by a witch and an annoying girl that would have normally been killed immediately for her stupid faces and weird smiles alone. The acting is good, the setting is very well chosen, but in the end the story feels partially copied from other things and the rest abandoned in a bloody mess. It is still a decent film, which could have been a lot better with a more thought out story and a stronger ending. Screenwriter hint: the more complex and sympathetic the villain, the better the story. Come on, guys!

Wow was this a stinker

[mprice78 · 3/10 · 16 June 2020]

I should have known when they advertised Hodor as the draw for the movie. (No offense to Kristian Nairn) I should have known when the opening scene delivered such corny lines and delivery that I thought for a second this might turn out to be a dark comedy. I should have known when I read the summary and thought it sounded too much like In the Name of the Rose. Unfortunately, I paid no attention and plowed ahead. This movie is replete with bad dialogue and acting, has an unoriginal plot, and the twist is fairly predictable. About all I can say I enjoyed was the atmosphere.

Wasted potential seems to be the consensus here

[furnacefuneral · 5/10 · 24 November 2020]

However I feel like this movie was entertaining regardless of its issues. My major issue I had with this was its pacing. Could've knocked off about 20 minutes to keep it going. My other main critique was the girl/witch was severely miscast. She was annoying to listen to and look at. The witch in her true witch form was really well done though. One thing I did like about this movie is that its genuinely pretty creepy and has a few good jump scares. This could've been really good, but missed its mark overall. It's not a BAD movie, it's just hard to watch knowing it shouldve been a lot better. Would recommend for a rainy day viewing if you have nothing better to do.

Great story and cast

[MariaJohnsen · 8 December 2018]

I did not expect to watch such a good and entertaining movie. I usually don't review movies but this one deserves 10 stars rating. It's not your usual medieval movie. Cast did a great job, excellent location and production design. Loved the soundtrack. I am not sure how much budget they spent on this film but i 'd like to applaud the entire cast and crew along with the screenwriter and producers. Job well done!

Stupid!

[umunir-36959 · 2/10 · 21 December 2018]

Absolutely Poor script and just bad bad very bad. The director was out of his mind. Please don't waste your time and money on this crap!

Poor copy of Season Of The Witch

[omendata · 4/10 · 14 March 2019]

Some really pitiful acting in this; special note goes to Johnny or Charlie whatever his name was the big guy with the beard and his first few sentences did not bode well for this one.

It did reasonably well conjuring up a medieval monastery and the atmosphere was quite well held together but it just was not very scary and the story itself has been done to death a hundred times notably better with Nicolas Cage in Season Of The Witch which this was just blatantly copying with a bit of Name Of The Rose thrown in for good measure.

Terrible ending and very slow it did not set my senses on fire.

Lots of potential, but unfinished

[viktorija_blazeska · 6/10 · 17 March 2020]

Period horror still has a lot to bring to the genre, but only given the creators work hard to avoid clichés and boldly commit to polishing a new idea and to taking it to completion.

When Inquisitor Mateho and his friend Johnny are secretly summoned to an abbey in a village terrorized by the plague, they find a dead body and a strange prisoner waiting for them. Tension builds as the villagers outside demand to see the witch burn, and the abbot seems very anxious to appease them. But the inquisitor is not convinced.

Will the accused girl talk before it's too late? What is the connection between the mysterious death and the inquisitor's own past? Can either science or the cross help the monks cope?

This film has the atmosphere, acting, and clever twist to make it an excellent horror flick. It definitely provides the scares and gives the viewer a constant feeling of doom and uncertainty, especially with the low light in many scenes and the excellent use of the fact that they didn't have electricity in the Middle Ages. However, it falls short of greatness due to the many plot holes and somewhat clumsy delivery of the big reveal in the third act.

It reminds me a lot of The Autopsy of Jane Doe, it's like a cross between that and The Name of the Rose, with which it's being constantly compared (but apart from the medieval setting, monks dying, and a detective figure, I see nothing else they share).

Overall, it needs stronger connections in the first two thirds of the film to the big reveal (even though I realise they probably wanted to keep the ending a surprise), a bit more research to make the setting more credible, and slightly more fleshed out characters with more background.

As it is, it's still a very enjoyable experience that showcases the potential of period horror. I can't help but wonder how it could have been different had it been written/directed by a woman, having that great twist to work with.

Spoiler alert: Kristian Nairn's character gets to hold a door!

Jesus Christ! This is one really horrible movie.

[pinkrabbi · 1/10 · 23 February 2019]

Everything in this movie is truly horrible: plot, cast, decorations, acting, FX - everything! Beware of it! I'm serious!

Great, but a little too long.

[parry_na · 6/10 · 7 November 2020]

Billed as just over 80 minutes, 'The Appearance' is almost certainly about 20 minutes longer. More than likely, had that actually been its running time, it might have emerged as something more impressive.

That sounds unfair. There is so much that is good going on here - the lighting, the sense of atmosphere, soundtrack, acting and direction are all hugely impressive, especially considering this is a fairly low budget production. The story contains many good moments too, but there aren't enough of them to justify the running time.

Set during medieval times, a young inquisitor is called to a suspected case of witch activity. Quite without reason, the inquisitor declares the young girl at the heart of the situation totally innocent, much to the ire of many of those around him. Whether she is or not is for the story to tell, but why he should be so sure of her good name is unclear. What transpires are many events, some supernatural, which either prove or disprove his claim: I'm not telling.

'The Appearance' is almost a really good film, but lacks a certain something that would have been partially improved by some generous pruning. My score is 6 out of 10.

Great Idea for a Short Film

[cjp-36258 · 4/10 · 9 June 2020]

The atmosphere, the performances from the supporting cast, and the back and forth arguments about who is good and who is evil is intriguing for about 1/4 of the run time. And therein is the problem with the film. It would serve wonderfully as a short film benefiting from the noted perks of a medieval atmosphere where a witch hunt is taking place, but the bland lead actor can't carry or add any care towards what the audience is supposed to feel for the Inquisitor and his righteous quest- especially with the two and a half hours it takes to discover who may or may not be a witch. This truly is one of those films where the trailer shows you the best parts. If you watch the preview, there's zero reason to watch the bloated film.

Well done Passion Project

[kagamikanako · 10/10 · 8 December 2018]

This movie was done on an extremely low budget, but it's well worth your time and money. Kristian Nairn is probably the most familiar name of the actors, and he puts in a fine performance as a "giant" protecting the main character. He's not Hodor here, he's Johnny. The story is interesting, not quite what I was expecting, less mystery and horror than I was expecting as well, but the actors' performances were amazing. I'd seen Jake Stormoen, Adam Johnson, Michael Flynn, and Baylee Self in The Outpost on the CW (and other movies for the men) and they are showing their range with this movie. Nuanced, compelling performances from all of them. This was clearly a passion project and that passion shows. Go see it.

A slow movie worth watching once .

[HotDoggyBoomBooM · 6/10 · 15 December 2018]

It just kept me occupied and a twisty ending unlike "the nun" which is kind of predictable ending plot .but this movie does the job on not being a predictable and has kinda no jump-scares even though it's horror . it's worth watching though..

It was a dark and stupid night

[yowilwasup · 1/10 · 7 November 2021]

As bad as you think it was... it was actually worse. I didn't know if it was a drama a who done it or a horror movie. It turns out it was none of those things though I think it was supposed to be creepy. No redeeming value.

This movie appeared on my DVD player ........

[KoolCatReviews · 4/10 · 10 September 2021]

This movie isn't quite so bad. It has some good effects for a C list movie. It is let down but some father flat acting and dull story. It is quite spooky but never really surprises you.