Amber's Descent (2020) User Reviews

Gives Away Its Secrets Too Early and Tries to be too Clever...

[stevesinger-2001 · 5/10 · 25 April 2021]

"Amber's Descent" is the story of Amber (Kayla Stanton), a musician who after a horrific incident involving her fiance, moves into a large house out in the country in order to recover emotionally and have some solitude to complete her symphony. The house needs some work, so handyman Jim (co-writer Michael Mitton) helps around the house. He seems nice, but wants to get closer to Amber than Amber wants him to. In the house, though, Amber begins to see apparitions; she hears music and sees a strange woman, parts of her symphony seem to be written without her remembering writing it, she has erotic lesbian encounters that may or may not be a dream... She tries to get people, like a local priest and her doctor, to help but everyone assures her that what's she's experiencing cannot be possible but she is convinced and tries to solve the mystery...

Movies that involve someone all alone experiencing things that nobody else experiences can only go in one of two directions. The events are happening and they are victims of the supernatural, or it's all in their heads, and then there are typically a couple of ways that resolves itself. "Amber's Descent" is nicely going down that path -- the events causing Amber to be in this house are played out well, Kaya Stanton does a wonderful jon making us care for Amber and empathize with her. And then, at about the 30 minute mark or so, the movie simply gives away which of the two options is happening. We give a heavy sigh, and then we spend the rest of the movie just waiting for the eventual reveal. And what's truly disappointing is that the movie actually had a totally original, really good reveal. It was clever and something I hadn't seen before and then they just chickened out, added a SECOND "ending reveal" which was a typical reveal in these type of movies andone we've seen dozens of times before. And then, for a pile-on, they added a THIRD "twist" at the end which basically just made things not make any sense at all.

This movie really feels like a victim of overthinking and trying to be too clever. Take out the early "give away what's happening" part and end the movie after the first "ending reveal" and this would be a pretty slick film. Almost hope the director pulls the movie back, re-edits it a little and re-releases it.

Stepping back 50 years

[artauds · 5/10 · 27 March 2021]

Amber's Descent harkens back to the 1970's tonal horror films. In particular I am reminded of Let's Scare Jessica To Death. Albeit because of budget constraints and unfamiliar cast, these atmospheric horror films invoke unworldly vignettes set in small towns of nowhere in particular. It is the journey of the netherworld that helps define the film from start to finish. Where are we? What time frame does it take place in? It doesn't matter. In fact in any of these films the location can be a literal Dantesque hell from start to finish.

Like as with, Let's Scare Jessica to Death, Amber's Descent is really about a journey of her psyche. Is anything real? The over-the top characters and portrayals are cries from her emotional id. This is not a film that is supposed to have a clear point A to Point B. This is a film to get under your skin and and haunt you late at night watching it alone on a small TV in an old house in the country.

This is an anachronistic tale in the vein of all late night horror tales that I saw as a child and I still think about as an adult. Were they works of great cinema? No. Did they do their job and creep into my subconscious - yes.

In fact, like the character Amber, after all these years, I am uncertain if what I saw actually existed or was it my childhood innocence manifesting something for me to label as my fear?

Slow burning mystery that could be a LOT better

[davish_wulf-1 · 4/10 · 27 April 2021]

I just gave one of the worst reviews on IMDB after trying to see this movie, having quit after watching for 40 minutes, however, something kept telling me to watch it until the end.

I guess I quit before the movie started developing more, since it slowly burns until it starts getting interesting.

All I can say is, it could be a LOT better. The photography is spot on, the house, colors and even garden are a must, but the slow pace can get boring for a long time if you have no pacience for slow burning mysteries.

Actor wise, it's no nomination for awards, but Kayla Stanton is perhaps the best actor on this, all the rest varies from very bad (sorry Michael Mitton) to getting the job done.

What the movie lacks is more suspense, to build the tension more until you get scared, to develop a bit more when anything relevant happens. As it stands it fails to scare and to take advantage of the mood to build a proper horror, haunting movie.

If a door is to be closed or open, let it happen at the right time, with the right music tone, with the right reaction from the actors. Sometimes I felt there was no reaction to really scary situations and this is where the main actor (Kayla) fails, failing to convince she was really terrified.

Want a good example of a very low budget movie, with 3 actors only that is a masterpiece? Watch "The Dead Room (2015)" - this is the kind of suspense I am talking about.

On top of all this, the ending seemed rushed and somehow fell in the old cliche of "let's confuse the viewer and in the end we just frame it in one word". It somehow ruined the whole movie for me.

As a curiosity, I found someone crouching on a corner of a scene that supposedly should not be there, I think this was not on purpose and it's towards the middle of the movie.

All in all, a below average mystery haunting movie, that could be so much more if the right elements were there, but a good effort nonetheless and very watchable, if you have a real taste for slow pace movies.

You're so pretty

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 17 April 2021]

The film opens with a quote from Beethoven concerning the dark side of his work. We then have Amber Waltz (Kayla Stanton) a composer, move into a a very large estate. While there she hears and sees things. First slowly and then more intense. We know she has mental issues caused by Mark who stabbed her. Jim is her handy man.

The film is slow at times in what is mostly one person. We attempt to figure out this confused bag and then it all neatly comes together in the final scene with a twist that almost made watching it worthwhile.

Guide: F-word, Brief sex. Nudity.

Unfortunately not good!

[info-33728-30040 · 2/10 · 24 March 2021]

Painfully boring with terrible acting. Sets and colours used were nice, but that's about it.

There is no pickup or umpf. Not sure what the film was trying to be.

Wow this was boring.

[Patient444 · 2/10 · 23 March 2021]

Boring, annoying and painfully slow. This is the exact description of Amber's Descent, a movie that wanted to be smart, a little artsy and even thought it could deliver more.

The main problem of the movie is that it plays a single card throughout it's runtime: it's not what it seems to be! Absolutely every scene you get to see, it is immediately shown to have been fake, an illusion, a dream, anything but reality. And it goes on and on, till the movie eventually ends. This is the entire plot, different scenes, mixed together, where you have to keep acting surprised that once again, what you just saw was not really happening.

The acting was bad, whenever some talent had to be surfaced, it did not, the characters somewhat weird, but on purpose and the dialogue overall is made out of stereotypical lines. Pretty much what you would expect one to deliver, it does so. Anyway, all in all Amber's Descent is not a pleasant way of passing some time, I genuinely recommend you try something else. I don't know if it wanted to be a thriller as much as it was psychological, but there is no horror, no thrills and no real brain.

Cheers!

Good ideas, gone to waste

[Good_Citizen · 3/10 · 25 January 2022]

I made it through the 92 minutes. No idea how. Guess I was hoping... for something. This movie is a mess.

"Descent" is a fitting title. I'm not sure if this is intended to be a horror movie or a documentary about dementia.

In Love With Amber

[myaawai · 8/10 · 31 March 2021]

Not only is Amber's Descent beautifully shot, but from start to finish I couldn't take my eyes off of Amber. Her hair, her wardrobe, and most importantly her acting, was fantastic. I couldn't help but notice all the little details, like the shadows on the piano, and how the light came in through the leaded glass windows. Beautiful! So many little twists and turns, and I loved how it all came together in the end. Well done!

Unexpected Ending

[ladymidath · 8/10 · 2 August 2021]

I was not sure what to think of Amber's Descent, it started off as a creepy haunted house film and turned into something entirely different at the end. That's not to say that's a bad thing though. I enjoyed it although I found the acting a little wooden and stiff at times. The lead actress was good and the location and filming gave the movie a good atmosphere and sense of foreboding. Very light on actual scares but very on building tension. It could have been better, but it's not as bad as some reviews are making it seem just don't watch it expecting an instant classic.

Great film , give it time.

[melissastubbs · 10/10 · 26 March 2021]

So refreshing to see original content. Great film .

Exciting and entertaining

[RoyMince · 10/10 · 29 September 2023]

This film is nothing short of excitement and brilliance as the cast and crew deliver a well developed film that grabs for your attention from the very start. Without giving away any spoilers, the directors creativity allows the mind to venture in and feel as though you are a part of the movie in a orthodox Way. When it comes to getting an audiences attention, this film does exactly that this is a recommendation I would like I would recommend to all fans of the topic and also the fans of the Indie community. Very cleverly done and I give this film to thumbs up based off of the creativity that this movie provides along with a very well misdirection that causes a chain reaction of events.